THE 

DIRECTORY  FOR    PUBLIC    WORSHIP 


AND 


THE  BOOK  OF  COMMON  PRAYER 


\ 


THE 


DIRECTORY  FOR  PUBLIC  WORSHIP 


AND 


THE  BOOK  OF  COMMOI  PRATER, 


CONSIDERED 


WITH    KEFERENCE    TO    THE    QUKSTION   OP 


A   PRESBYTERIAN   LITURGY. 


BY      J 

CHARLES  W.   SHIELDS, 

PASTOR  OP  THE  SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
WILLIAM   S.    &  ALFRED   MARTIEN, 

606  Chestnut  Street. 
1863. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/directoryforpublOOshie 


CONTENTS. 


ARTICLE  I. 
The  Origin  of  the  Westminster  Directory  for  Public  "Worship,    .       5 

ARTICLE  11. 
The  Presbyterian  Revision  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,        .       9 

ARTICLE  III. 
The  General  Assembly's  Revision  of  the  Westminster  Directory,     14 

ARTICLE  IV. 
Ministerial  Neglects,  and  their  Remedies,  under  the  Directory,        20 

ARTICLE  V. 
Congregational  Neglects,  and  their  Remedies,  under  the  Directory,    26 

ARTICLE  VL 
The  Consistency  of  a  Free  Liturgy  with  the  Directory,      .         .     32 

ARTICLE  VII. 
The  Warrant  for  the  Presbyterian  Book  of  Common  Prayer,       .     39 


NOTE. 

The  following  pages  contain  a  series  of  articles  lately  con- 
tributed to  the  Preshyterian.  It  is  hoped  that  their  collection 
in  this  form,  for  continuous  reading,  may  add  to  any  interest 
occasioned  by  them,  and  shed  some  light  upon  the  difficult,  but 
vital  question  of  which  they  treat. 


DIRECTORY   FOR  PUBLIC    WORSHIP, 

AND   THE 

BOOK  OF  COMMON  PRAYER. 


ARTICLE   I. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  WESTMINSTER  DIRECTORY  FOR  PUBLIC  WORSHIP, 

Messrs.  Editors: 

As  attention  has  lately  been  drawn,  through  your  columns, 
and  in  several  ecclesiastical  bodies,  to  our  "Directory  for 
Public  Worship,"  I  have  thought  it  might  interest  your  readers 
briefly  to  review  the  history  and  uses,  as  well  as  abuses,  of  that 
formulary.  But  few  Presbyterians  in  this  country  would  seem 
to  be  aware  of  its  origin,  or  rightly  to  appreciate  its  advan- 
tages as  a  mean  between  the  extremes  of  imposed  liturgies  and 
"irregular,  or  extravagant  effusions"  in  the  service  of  God,  as 
is  abundantly  shown  by  the  general  neglect  into  which  it  has 
fallen. 

It  may  sometimes  happen  that  Churches  will  have  so  far 
departed,  in  the  progress  of  events,  from  their  own  early 
standards  and  usages,  that  the  work  of  restoration  must  incur 
somewhat  of  the  suspicion  belonging  to  that  of  innovation ;  and 
if  any  of  the  suggestions  which  are  to  follow,  should,  on  first 
thought,  seem  so  strange  as  to  be  questionable,  I  trust  it  will 
be  found  that  at  least  they  are  not  mere  individual  conceits,  or 
new-fangled  devices. 

There  is  also  the  risk  of  a  certain  odium  and  cheap  ridicule, 
attending  any  attempts  at  more  systematic  and  edifying  wor- 
ship, to  meet  which,  all  calm,  rational  argument  is  powerless. 
Without  hoping  to  forestall  the  charge  of  being  a  "formalist," 
"liturgist,"  or  "  half  Episcopalian,"  the  writer  is  only  anxious 
2 


6  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

to  premise  and  insist  upon  his  full  right  to  the  signature  affixed 
to  these  articles.* 

In  reference,  however,  to  any  who  are  seriously  interested  in 
the  subject,  it  is  but  right  to  say,  that  the  views  which  will  be 
advocated  are  believed  to  be  scriptural,  reasonable,  and  just; 
that  they  have  not  been  hastily  formed,  but  are  the  result  of 
some  study  and  experience;  and  that  they  are  not  meant  to  be 
here  advanced  without  due  caution  and  deference.  It  would  be 
too  much  to  expect  a  ready  assent  to  them  on  the  part  of  those 
who  have  not  passed  through  some  similar  course  of  reflection; 
but  it  is  hoped  they  will  at  least  be  received  in  the  spirit  in 
which  they  are  offered. 

No  more  will  be  attempted  in  this  article  than  a  glance  at 
the  history  immediately  preceding  the  establishment  of  the 
Directory.  In  the  Scotch  editions  of  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
the  document  has  this  title — "  The  Directory  for  the  Public 
Worship  of  God,  agreed  upon  by  the  Assembly  of  Divines  at 
Westminster,  with  the  assistance  of  Commissioners  from  the 
Church  of  Scotland,  as  a  part  of  the  Covenanted  uniformity  in 
religion  betwixt  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  the  kingdoms  of 
Scotland,  England,  and  Ireland."  But,  as  first  adopted,  and 
by  law  established,  it  was  entitled,  "  A  Directory  for  the  Public 
Worship  of  God,  throughout  the  three  kingdoms  of  England, 
Scotland,  and  Ireland ;  together  with  an  ordinance  of  Parlia- 
ment for  the  taking  away  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer, 
and  the  Establishing  and  Observing  of  this  present  Directory 
throughout  the  kingdom  of  England  and  Dominion  of  Wales." 
These  titles,  viewed  in  connection  with  several  previous  events, 
will  afford  a  sufficient  clue  to  its  origin. 

While  the  Church  of  Scotland  differed  from  the  Church  of 
England  in  having  been  reformed  from  Popery  by  presbyters 
rather  than  by  prelates,  it  agreed  with  it,  and  with  all  the 
Reformed  Churches,  in  adhering  both  to  the  principle  and  to 
the  use  of  a  liturgy.  The  "Book  of  Common  Prayer"  itself, 
was,  at  one  time,  in  use  in  many  Presbyterian  parishes  ;t  and 
the    "Book  of   Common    Order,"  at  length   adopted  by  the 

*  "A  True  Presbyterian." 

f  Collier's  Ecclesiastical  History,  vi.  580,  vii.  388.     Peterkin's  Records  of 
the  Kirk  of  Scotland,  p.  iv. 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  7 

General  Assembly,  had  much  in  common  with  the  Prayer-book, 
as  will  appear  on  comparing  them.  And  even  the  first  pro- 
posals to  introduce  the  English  liturgy  into  Scotland,  were  so 
favorably  entertained  by  the  General  Assembly,  that  under  its 
sanction  a  Prayer-book,  substantially  agreeing  with  that  of  the 
Church  of  England,  was  prepared,  though  never  actually  used.* 
What  might  have  been  the  result,  had  these  measures  been 
pursued  with  moderation  and  caution  by  the  succeeding  king, 
it  Avere  now  simply  curious  to  inquire.  But  the  rise  of  the 
High  Church  party  in  England,  under  Laud,  (the  Pusey  of  that 
day,)  the  revival  of  many  papistical  ceremonies  in  the  Church 
service,  and  the  wild  attempt  of  King  Charles  I.  to  impose 
them  by  force  of  arms  upon  the  people  of  Scotland,  soon 
dashed  all  hopes  of  uniformity  or  conformity  in  worship 
between  the  two  kingdoms  on  the  basis  of  any  existing  liturgy. 
It  was  enough  to  rouse  the  Scotch  to  a  frenzy,  that  the  book 
sent  to  them  was  a  foreign  production,  and  had  not  been  regu- 
larly passed  upon  by  their  own  Church  courts,  even  if  on 
examination  it  had  been  found  free  from  errors  and  super- 
stitions. The  first  attempt  to  use  it  in  divine  service  at  Edin- 
burgh, was  frustrated  by  a  popular  outbreak.  "Fiery  Presby- 
terians, most  of  them  armed  with  good  broadswords,  thronged 
into  the  city;"  and  all  ranks  and  orders,  throughout  England 
as  well  as  Scotland,  with  a  contagious  enthusiasm,  banded 
themselves  together  to  resist  the  invasion,  and  defend  the 
Reformed  religion  against  the  fresh  inroad  of  the  old  hierarchy. 
To  make  this  compact  more  binding  and  impressive,  it  was 
preceded  by  a  public  fast,  and  attended  with  the  religious 
solemnity  of  an  oath ;  the  whole  assembly — parliament,  divines, 
and  people,  rising  at  the  close  of  the  service,  and,  with  uplifted 
hands,  uniting  in  a  "Solemn  League  and  Covenant,"!  of  which 
the  following  was  the  first  article : 

*  Collier,  vii.  388;  Cook's  History  of  Church  of  Scotland,  Vol  11.  p.  336; 
Calderwood's  True  History  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  pp.  5,  663,  715-17. 

f  "The  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  for  Reformation  and  Defence  of 
Religion,  the  honor  and  happiness  of  the  King,  and  the  peace  and  safety  of  the 
three  kingdoms  of  Scotland,  England,  and  Ireland,  agreed  upon  by  Commis- 
sioners from  the  Parliament  and  Assembly  of  Divines  in  England,  with  Com- 
missioners of  the  Convention  of  Estates  and  General  Assembly  in  Scotland ; 


8  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

"We  noblemen,  barons,  knights,  gentlemen,  citizens,  burgesses,  ministers  of 
the  gospel,  and  commons  of  all  sorts,  in  the  kingdoms  of  Scotland,  England, 
and  Ireland,  by  the  providence  of  God,  living  under  one  king,  and  being  of 
one  reformed  religion,  having  before  our  eyes  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  the  honor 
and  happiness  of  the  king's  majesty  and  his  posterity,  and  the  true  public 
liberty,  and  peace  of  the  kingdoms,  wherein  every  one's  private  condition  ia 
included;  and  calling  to  mind  the  treacherous  and  bloody  plots,  conspiracies, 
attempts  and  practices  of  the  enemies  of  God  against  the  true  religion  and 
professors  thereof  in  all  places,  especially  in  these  three  kingdoms,  ever  since 
the  reformation  of  religion;  and  how  much  their  rage,  power,  and  presumption 
are  of  late,  and  at  this  time,  increased  and  exercised,  whereof  the  deplorable 
state  of  the  Church  and  kingdom  of  Ireland,  the  distressed  estate  of  the  Church 
and  kingdom  of  England,  and  the  dangerous  estate  of  the  Church  and  kingdom 
of  Scotland,  are  present  and  public  testimonies.  We  have  now  at  last  (after 
other  means  of  supplication,  remonstrance,  protestation,  and  sufferings,)  for 
the  preservation  of  ourselves  and  our  religion  from  utter  ruin  and  destruction, 
according  to  the  commendable  practice  of  these  kingdoms  in  former  times, 
and  the  example  of  God's  people  in  other  nations;  after  mature  deliberation, 
resolved  and  determined  to  enter  into  a  mutual  and  solemn  league  and  cove- 
nant, wherein  we  all  subscribe,  and  each  one  of  us  for  himself,  with  our  hands 
lifted  up  to  the  Most  High  God,  do  swear, 

"  I.  That  we  shall  sincerely,  really,  and  constantly,  through  the  grace  of 
God,  endeavor,  in  our  several  places  and  callings,  the  preservation  of  the 
reformed  religion  in  the  Church  of  Scotland,  in  doctrine,  worship,  discipline, 
and  government,  against  our  common  enemies;  the  reformation  of  religion  in 
the  kingdoms  of  England  and  Ireland,  in  doctrine,  worship,  discipline,  and 
government,  according  to  the  word  of  God,  and  the  example  of  the  best 
Reformed  Churches;  and  shall  endeavor  to  bring  the  churches  of  God  in  the 
three  kingdoms  to  the  nearest  conjunction  and  uniformity  in  religion,  Confes- 
sion of  Faith,  Form  of  Church  Government,  Directory  for  Worship,  and  Cate- 
chising; that  we,  and  our  people  after  us,  may,  as  brethren,  live  in  faith  and 
love." 

It  was  thus  that  the  Scotch  Covenanters,  being  now  in  league 
with  the  English  Puritans,  defeated  the  Prelatical  party  in  the 
field,  and  obtained  in  Parliament  the  convocation  at  Westmin- 
ster of  that  famous  assetpbly  of  divines  to  which  we  owe  ovur 
Directory. 

approved  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  and  by  both 
Houses  of  Parliament  and  Assembly  of  Divines  in  England,  and  taken  and  sub- 
scribed by  them,  Anno  1643;  and  thereafter  by  the  said  authority,  taken  and 
subscribed  by  all  ranks  in  Scotland  ^aidi  England  the  same  year;  and  ratified 
by  act  of  Parliament  of  Scotland,  Anno  1644.  And  again  renewed  in  Scotland, 
with  an  acknowledgment  of  sins,  and  engagement  to  duties,  by  all  ranks, 
Anno  1648,  and  by  the  Parliament  1649;  and  taken  and  subscribed  by  King 
Charles  II.,  at  Spey,  June  23,  1650;  and  at  Scoon,  January  1,  1661." — Con- 
fession  of  Faith  of  the  Church  of  Scotland. 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRATER. 


AKTICLE  II. 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  REVISION  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  COMMON  PRAYER  AT 
THE  SAVOY  CONEERENCE. 

The  reign  of  tlie  Directory  in  the  Church  of  England  was 
short.  The  wave  which  had  brought  the  Presbyterians  into 
power  soon  overwhelmed  them,  and  their  religious  reformation 
was  hurried  beyond  their  control  into  a  political  revolution. 
Having  thrust  down  the  Episcopalians,  they  were  now,  in  their 
turn,  thrust  down  by  the  Independents,  or  Congregationalists, 
and  both  Directory  and  Prayer-book  sank  from  view  in  the 
confusions  which  followed. 

Out  of  this  anarchy,  the  Presbyterian  clergy  rose  foremost 
in  restoring  order  and  peace,  both  to  Church  and  State.  In 
London,  they  issued  a  public  protest  against  the  murder  of  the 
king,  and  rebuked  the  excesses  of  the  rebel  army;*  and  in 
Scotland,  they  recalled  his  successor  from  exile,  crowned  him, 
and  rallied  to  his  standard,  in  opposition  to  Cromwell.  And 
now  the  strange  sight  was  presented,  of  Covenanter  in  arms 
against  Puritan,  both  fighting  and  praying  in  the  face  of  their 
own  mutual  and  solemn  league  and  covenant. 

After  a  dreary  period  of  defeat  and  disorder,  the  result  was 
the  reestablishment  of  the  throne  and  Constitution.  *  But  it  by 
no  means  followed,  that  because  the  Presbyterians  had  thus 
been  instrumental  in  restoring  the  monarchy,  they  also  intend- 
ed the  restoration  of  that  hierarchy  which,  from  the  first,  had 
been  the  only  object  of  their  hostility. f  Nor  did  it  seem  unrea- 
sonable that  the  Church  of  England,  in  accordance  with  the 
national  sentiment,  might  continue  substantially  Presbyterian, 


*  "A  Serious  and  Faithful  Representation  of  the  Judgments  of  the  Minis- 
ters of  the  Gospel  within  the  province  of  London."  See  Collier,  Eccl.  Hist. 
ix.  p.  357. 

f  A  Defence  of  our  Proposals  to  his  Majesty  for  Agreement  in  Matters  of 
Religion."  "The  Petition  of  the  Ministers  to  the  King  upon  the  First  Draft 
of  his  Declaration."  "Alterations  in  the  Declaration  proposed  by  the  Minis- 
ters." See  Documents  relating  to  the  Settlement  of  Church  of  England  in  1662, 
pp.  39,  79,  98, 


10  DIRECTORY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

both  in  polity  and  liturgy.*  The  parliament  and  the  aristocracy 
were  then  inclined  to  presbytery,  as  a  safe  mean  between  pre- 
lacy and  independency.  Leading  prelates  themselves  had 
already  favoured  a  "reduction  of  episcopacy,"  to  be  attained 
by  making  the  diocesan  bishop  a  sort  of  permanent  moderator 
of  presbytery  ;f  and  as  the  Directory  had  many  of  the  rubrical 
elements  of  the  Prayer-book,  it  was  not  impossible  to  combine 
the  freedom  and  spirituality  of  the  former,  with  the  order  and 
decorum  of  the  latter,  and  thus,  while  securing  their  respective 
advantages,  also  escape  their  respective  perils. 

Accordingly,  in  the  deputation  which  recalled  Charles  the 
Second  to  the  throne,  were  such  leading  Presbyterian  divines 
as  Drs.  Reynolds,  Bates,  Calamy,  Baxter,  &c.,  who  presented 
an  address|  to  the  king,  in  which  they  said : 

"We  are  satisfied  in  our  judgments  concerning  the  lawfulness  of  a  Liturgy, 
or  Form  of  Public  Worship,  provided  that  it  be  for  the  matter  agreeable  unto 
the  Word  of  God,  and  fitly  suited  to  the  nature  of  the  several  ordinances  and 
necessities  of  the  Church;  neither  too  tedious  in  the  vyhole,  nor  composed  of 
too  short  prayers,  unmeet  repetitions  or  responsals;  nor  to  be  dissonant  from 
the  Liturgies  of  other  Reformed  Churches;  nor  too  rigorously  imposed;  nor 


*  "The  Presbyterians,"  says  Collier,  an  Episcopalian  historian,  "had  seve- 
ral circumstances  of  advantage  to  support  their  hopes.  Possession  of  the 
chair,  the  inclinations  of  no  small  numbers  of  the  people,  the  countenance  of 
great  men,  and  the  king's  Declaration  at  Breda,  gave  this  party  no  uncomfort- 
able prospect." 

"They  represented,"  says  Bancroft,  "a  powerful  portion  of  the  aristocracy 
of  England;  they  had,  besides  the  majority  in  the  Commons,  the  exclusive 
possession  of  the  House  of  Lords ;  they  held  command  of  the  army,  they  had 
numerous  and  active  adherents  among  the  clergy;  the  English  people  favored 
them.  Scotland,  which  had  been  so  efficient  in  all  that  had  thus  far  been 
done,  was  entirely  devoted  to  their  interests,  and  they  hoped  for  a  compro- 
mise with  their  Sovereign." 

"The  Presbyterians,"  says  Neal,  who  was  far  from  being  their  friend, 
"were  in  possession  of  the  whole  power  of  England;  the  council  of  State,  the 
chief  officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  and  the  governors  of  the  chief  forts  and 
garrisons,  were  theirs ;  their  clergy  were  in  possession  of  both  universities, 
and  of  the  best  livings  of  the  kingdom."  See  Hodge's  History  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  p.  25 — 27. 

f  "The  Reduction  of  Episcopacy  unto  the  form  of  Synodical  Government," 
&c.  See  Documents  relating  to  the  Act  of  Conformity  in  1661,  and  Gala- 
Day's  Life  of  Baxter,  chap.  viii. 

J  "  The  First  Address  and  Proposals  of  the  Ministers."  See  Documents 
relating  to  the  settlement  of  the  Church  of  England  by  the  Act  of  Uniformity, 
in  1662.     London,  1862. 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  11 

the  minister  so  confined  thereunto,  but  that  he  may  also  make  use  of  those 
gifts  for  prayer  and  exhortation,  which  Christ  hath  given  him  for  the  service 
and  edification  of  the  Church." 

"And  inasmuch  as  the  Boole  of  Common  Prayer  hath  in  it  many  things  that 
are  justly  offensive,  and  need  amendment,  hath  been  long  discontinued,  and 
very  many,  both  ministers  and  people,  persons  of  pious,  loyal  and  peaceable 
minds,  are  therein  greatly  dissatisfied;  -whereupon,  if  it  be  again  imposed,  will 
inevitably  follow  sad  divisions,  and  widening  of  the  breaches  which  your  Ma- 
jesty is  now  endeavouring  to  heal ;  we  do  most  humbly  offer  to  your  Majesty's 
wisdom,  that  for  preventing  so  great  evil,  and  for  settling  the  Church  in  unity 
and  peace,  some  learned,  godly,  and  moderate  divines,  of  both  persuasions, 
indifferently  chosen,  may  be  employed  to  compile  such  a  form  as  is  before 
described,  as  much  as  maybe  in  Scripture  words:  or  at  least  to  revise  and 
effectually  reform  the  old,  together  with  an  addition  or  insertion  of  some  other 
varying  forms  in  Scripture  phrase,  to  be  used  at  the  minister's  choice;  of 
which  variety  and  liberty  there  be  instances  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer." 

And  the  result  of  this  application  was  "his  Majesty's  Decla- 
tion  to  all  his  loving  subjects  concerning  Ecclesiastical  Affairs,"* 
wherein,  among  other  pledges  given  for  a  proper  fusion  of 
episcopacy  with  presbytery  in  the  Church,  was  this  one  con- 
cerning the  proposed  revision  of  the  Prayer-book : 

"Since  we  find  some  exceptions  made  against  several  things  therein,  we 
will  appoint  an  equal  number  of  learned  divines,  of  both  persuasions,  to  review 
the  same,  and  to  make  such  alterations  as  shall  be  thought  most  necessary, 
and  some  additional  forms,  (in  the  Scripture  phrase  as  near  as  may  be,)  suited 
unto  the  several  parts  of  worship,  and  that  it  be  left  to  the  minister's  choice  to 
use  one  or  other  at  his  discretion." 

For  the  assurances  given  in  this  Royal  Declaration,  the 
Presbyterian  clergy  of  London  presented  an  "Humble  and 
Grateful  Acknowledgment"t  to  the  King,  who,  at  the  same 
time,  appointed  several  of  them  his  chaplains,  while  to  others 
were  offered  high  preferments,  none  of  which,  however,  were 
accepted  but  the  bishopric  of  Norwich,  by  Dr.  Reynolds,  and 
that  only  on  the  conditions  of  the  Declaration. ;];  And  at 
length,  in  due  form,  a  commission  was  issued  for  the  promised 
revision  to  twelve  Episcopalian  divines,  with  nine  coadjutors, 
and  likewise  to  as  many,  the  following  named,  Presbyterian 
divines,  then  incumbents  of  various  livings : 

*  See  Documents,  &c.,  p.  63;  Card  well's  History  of  Conferences  on  Prayer- 
book,  p.  256. 

f  See  Documents,  &c.,  p.  101,  and  Reliquite  Baxterianse,  by  Sylvester, 
p.  284. 

J  Calamy's  Life  of  Baxter,  p.  155. 


12  DIRECTORY   OF   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

Presbyterian  Commissioners  at  the  Savoy  Conrerenoe,  a.  d.  1661. 

Principals.  Coadjutors. 

Anthony  Tuckney,  D.  D.,  Thomas  Horton,  D.  D., 

Regius  Prof,  of  Div.,  Cambridge.  Prof,  of  Div.  Gresh.  Col.,  Cambridge. 

John  Conant,  D.  D.,  Thomas  Jacomb,  D.  D., 

Regius  Prof,  of  Div.,  Oxford.  St.  Martin's,  London. 

William  Spurstow,  D.  D.,  William  Bates,  D.  D., 

Mast.  Katharine  Hall,  Cambridge.  St.  Dunstan's,  London. 

John  Wallis,  D.  D.,  William  Cooper,  D.  D., 

Sav.  Prof,  of  Geometry,  Oxford.  St.  Olave,  London. 

Thomas  Manton,  D.  D.,  Rev.  John  Rawlinson, 

St.  Paul's,  London.  Vicar  of  Lambeth. 

Edmund  Calamy,  D.  D.,  John  Lightfoot,  D.  D. 

Perp.  Cur.  of  Aldermanbury.  John  Collins,  D.  D., 

Rev.  Richard  Baxter,  St.  Stephens,  Norwich. 

Minister  at  Kidderminster.  Ben.iamin  Woodbridge,  D.  D., 

Rev.  Arthur  Jackson,  Vicar  of  Newbury. 

St.  Faith's,  London.  Roger  Drake,  D.  D., 

Rev.  Thomas  Case,  St.  Peter's,  London. 

St.  Mary  Magdalen,  London.  ^ 
Rev.  Samuel  Clarke, 

Perp.  Cur.  Bennet  Fink,  London. 
Rev.  5Iatthew  Newcomen, 

Vicar  of  Dedham. 
Edward  Reynolds,  D.  D., 

Bishop  of  Norwich. 

The  discussions  in  this  Conference  were  mainly  in  writing' 
(and  are  on  record,)  the  Presbyterians  bringing  their  "excep- 
tions," and  the  Episcopalians  their  "rejoinders;"  but  from  the 
first  it  was  evident  that  no  terms  could  be  made  with  the  latter, 
and  the  former  withdrew  on  the  failure  of  the  Conference,  in 
the  hope  of  holding  the  King  to  his  pledges,  and  obtaining 
redress  in  Parliament.  Their  renewed  appeal  concluded  in 
these  words : 

"Finally,  as  your  Majesty,  under  God,  is  the  protection  whereto  your  people 
fly,  and  as  the  same  necessities  still  remain  which  drew  forth  your  gracious 
Declaration,  we  most  humbly  and  earnestly  beseech  your  Majesty  that  the 
benefits  of  the  said  Declaration  may  be  continued  to  your  people;  and,  in  par- 
ticular, that  none  be  punished  or  troubled  for  not  using  the  common  prayer, 
until  it  be  effectually  reviewed,  and  the  additions  made  that  are  therein  ex- 
pressed. And  humbly  craving  your  Majesty's  pardon  for  the  tediousness  of 
this  address,  we  shall  wait  in  hope  that  so  great  a  calamity  to  your  people,  as 
would  follow  the  loss  of  so  many  able,  faithful  ministers,  as  rigorous  imposi- 
tions would  cast  out,  shall  never  be  recorded  in  the  history  of  your  reign ;  but 
that  these  impediments  of  concord  being  forborne,  your  kingdoms  may  flourish 
in  piety  and  peace."* 

But  in  this  hope  they  were  doomed  to  be  disappointed.     In 

*  "Petition  to  the  King  at  the  close  of  the  Conference."  Documents,  &c,. 
p.  379. 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  13 

relying  upon  the  vaunted  "word  of  a  king,"  they  were  leaning 
upon  a  broken  reed;  and  with  the  duplicity  of  Charles,  and 
the  servility  of  Parliament,  were  thrown  against  them  all  the 
libellous  influences  in  which  that  corrupt  age  abounded.  The 
Prayer-book,  with  its  exceptionable  features  unchanged,  was 
presented  to  the  House  of  Commons ;  and  at  length,  by  the 
close  vote  of  186  to  180,  the  House  of  Lords  reluctantly  assent- 
ing,* was  passed  that  famous  "Act  of  Uniformity,"  under  the 
operation  of  which,  on  St.  Bartholomew's  Day,  (now  doubly 
memorable  in  our  annals,)  two  thousand  Presbyterian  clergy, 
then  unsurpassed  in  learning,  loyalty,  or  piety,  and  comprising 
names  whose  praise  is  still  in  all  the  churches,  chose  rather  to 
quit  their  livings,  in  the  face  of  beggary  and  disgrace,  than 
continue  in  an  establishment  unto  which  they  could  not  con- 
scientiously conform.!  And,  at  the  same  time,  by  one  of  those 
astounding  revolutions  with  which  history  sometimes  sets  all 
philosophy  at  defiance.  Episcopacy  was  established  in  Scotland 
on  the  ruins  of  the  Covenant  and  Directory. 

*  Knight's  History  of  England,  Book  VIII.,  p.  801. 

f  "St.  Bartholomew's  day  being  come,  on  which  the  Act  of  Uniformity  was 
to  take  place,  two  thousand  Presbyterian  ministers  chose  rather  to  quit  their 
livings  than  to  subscribe  to  the  conditions  of  this  Act.  It  was  expected  that  a 
division  would  have  happened  amongst  them,  and  that  a  great  number  of  them 
•would  have  chose  rather  to  conform  to  the  Church  of  England  than  to  see 
themselves  reduced  to  beggary.  It  was  not,  therefore,  without  extreme  sur- 
prise that  they  were  all  seen  to  stand  out,— not  so  much  as  one  suffering  him- 
self to  be  tempted.  As  this  is  a  considerable  event  of  this  reign,  it  will  not  be 
improper  to  inquire  into  the  causes  of  this  rigor  against  the  Presbyterians, 
&c.     Rapin's  Histoi-y  of  England,  as  quoted  in  Collier,  ix.  453. 

"On  one  and  the  same  day,  England  saw  the  becoming  spectacle  of  two 
thousand  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ  embracing  penury  rather  than  stoop  to  dis- 
honest compliance.  From  college  halls  and  cathedral  closes,  from  stately  and 
from  humble  parsonages,  endeared  by  the  familiarity  of  happy  and  useful 
years;  holy  men  led  out  their  delicately  nurtured  families,  not  knowing  whi- 
ther they  should  go."     Palfry's  History  of  New  England,  Vol.  II.  p.  130. 

"It  is  not  this  or  that  thing  that  puts  us  upon  this  dissent,"  said  Jacomb, 
of  St.  Martin's,  Ludgate,  "but  it  is  conscience  towards  God,  and  fear  of  offend- 
ing Him,  I  censure  none  that  differ  from  me,  as  though  they  displease  God; 
but  yet,  as  to  myself,  should  I  do  thus  and  thus,  I  should  certainly  violate  the 
peace  of  my  own  conscience,  and  offend  God,  which  I  must  not  do.  Shall  we 
not  follow  those  who,  through  faith  and  patience,  inherit  the  promises?  Shall 
we  leave  the  snow  of  Lebanon  for  Kedar  and  Meschech  ?  No !  let  us  commit 
ourselves  to  the  care  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  Arise!  let  us  go  hence!" 
Quoted  in  New  Englander,  Jan.  1863. 


14  DIRECTORY  OF   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

And  thus  it  seemed  that  every  vestige  of  Protestant  liberty 
had  been  swept  out  of  the  three  kingdoms.  The  event  proved, 
however,  that  it  Avas  but  a  brief  recoil,  as  if  to  collect  strength 
for  a  last  triumphant  effort.  In  the  year  1690,  in  the  reign  of 
King  William,  Presbytery  again  rose  from  under  the  heel  of 
Prelacy,  and  achieved,  in  the  Church  of  Scotland,  that  legal 
establishment  which  had  before  extinguished  it  in  the  Church 
of  England.  The  Directory  and  the  Prayer-book  were  driven 
farther  apart  than  ever,  and  the  two  extremities  of  the  island 
settled  down  into  those  extremes  of  Protestant  churchmanship 
in  which  they  have  continued  until  the  present  day. 


ARTICLE  III. 

THE    GENERAL    ASSEMBLY'S    REVISION     OP    THE     WESTMINSTER 
DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC    WORSHIP. 

Our  historical  sketch  (in  which  we  have  aimed  at  truth  and 
fairness)  has  brought  to  view  these  facts:  1st.  That  liturgies, 
or  prescribed  forms  of  public  worship,  were  in  use  in  the  early 
Church  of  Scotland,  as  in  all  the  Reformed  Churches;  2d.  That 
the  Directory  was,  in  its  origin,  a  revolutionary  protest  against 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  tyranny  in  such  matters,  and  a  conces- 
sion to  the  principle  of  uniformity  or  conformity  peculiar  to 
established  or  State-religions ;  3d.  That  it  was  followed  by  a 
healthy  reaction — there  having  been  at  one  time  at  least  two 
thousand  Presbyterian  clergy  in  England  who  would  have  been 
willing  to  use  even  the  Prayer-book  itself,  had  it  been  properly 
reformed  and  amended;  and  4th.  That  it  was  finally  established 
by  law  in  Scotland,  as  the  alternative  to  a  legally  imposed 
liturgy,  and  as  the  only  existing  safeguard  of  a  free  and  spirit- 
ual worship. 

We  come  now  to  its  history  in  our  own  country.  It  was  cer- 
tainly not  necessary  that  these  extremes,  between  which  the 
Church  was  driven  in  the  Old  World,  should  have  been  repeated 
on  a  larger  scale  in  the  New,  necessitated,  as  they  mainly 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  15 

were,  by  political  and  sectarian  controversies,  -whicli  no  longer 
trammel  us  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic ;  and  it  is  not  even  pro- 
bable that  they  would  have  been  so  repeated,  had  our  fathers 
been  able  to  free  themselves  from  inherited  prejudices,  and  to 
foresee  the  present  diversified  condition  and  relations  of  our 
Church.  As  it  was,  it  is  well  known  that  in  the  General 
Assembly  which  adopted  our  Confession  of  Faith,  the  most 
learned  and  judicious  members,  such  as  Drs.  Rogers,  McWhor- 
ter,  Ashbel  Green,  were  in  favour  of  so  enlarging  the  litur- 
gical element  of  the  Directory,  as  to  include  in  it  not  merely 
rules  and  topics,  but  complete  forms  for  the  minister's  use, 
either  as  examples  or  materials  of  divine  service ;  and  the  com- 
mittee of  revision  actually  prepared  and  reported  such  a 
liturgy,  and  advocated  its  adoption.*  The  failure  of  the 
scheme  is  not  now  to  be  wondered  at,  or  indeed,  regretted; 
especially  since  the  spirit  which  prompted  it  so  far  prevailed  in 
the  counsels  of  the  Assembly  as  to  procure  the  amendment  of 
the  Directory  in  several  particulars.  We  shall  see,  if  we  com- 
pare our  edition  of  that  formulary  with  the  same  as  first  adopt- 
ed by  the  Westminster  divines,  that  the  additions  we  have 
made  to  it  are  decidedly  liturgical  in  their  tendency. 

In  the  chapter  on  the  "Preaching  of  the  Word,"  we  find 
added  this  much  needed  caution  against  the  danger  of  degrad- 
ing public  worship  into  mere  sermonizing: 

•'  As  one  primary  design  of  public  ordinances  is  to  pay  social  acts  of  homage 
to  the  Most  High  God,  ministers  ought  to  be  careful  not  to  make  their  sermons 
so  long  as  to  interfere  with  or  exclude  the  more  important  duties  of  prayer 
and  praise;  but  preserve  a  just  proportion  between  the  several  parts  of  pub- 
lic worship." 

In  the  chapter  on  the  "  Singing  of  Psalms"  and  hymns 
(which  latter  compositionsf  are  not  named  in  the  Westminster 
formulary,)  it  is  recommended  to  congregations  "to  cultivate 
some  knowledge  of  the  rules  of  music,  that  we  may  praise  God 
in  a  becoming  manner  with  our   voices   as  well  as  with  our 

♦Assembly's  Digest,  page  9.  Eutaxia,  or  the  Presbyterian  Liturgies, 
Chap.  xiii. 

f  The  history  of  our  present  Uymn-honh  affords  some  instructive  pre- 
cedents in  reference  to  the  corresponding  question  of  a  Prayer-hook,  and  shows 
how  steadily  the  reaction  has  been  going  on  in  modern  Presbyterianism  from 
that  false  extreme  into  which  it  was  driven  in  the  Church  of  Scotland. 


16  DIRECTORY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

hearts;"  and  to  ministers,  "that  more  time  be  allowed  for  this 
excellent  part  of  divine  service  than  has  been  usual  in  most  of 
our  churches." 

The  chapter  on  "Public  Prayer"  is  made  more  exact  and 
methodical,  the  matter  of  such  devotions  being  placed  under 
several  heads,  as  Adorations,  Thanksgivings,  Confessions,  Sup- 
plications, Pleadings,  and  Intercessions;  while,  as  to  the  man- 
ner, the  use  of  forms  is  neither  enjoined  nor  forbidden,  as 
appears  from  this  important  amendment: 

"We  think  it  necessary  to  observe,  that  although  we  do  not  approve,  as  is 
•well  known,  of  confining  ministers  to  set  or  fixed  forms  of  prayer  for  public 
worship,  yet  it  is  the  indispensable  duty  of  every  minister,  previously  to  his 
entering  on  his  office,  to  prepare  and  qualify  himself  for  this  part  of  his  duty, 
as  well  as  for  preaching.  He  ought,  by  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  by  reading  the  best  writers  on  the  subject,  by  meditation,  and 
by  a  life  of  communion  with  God  in  secret,  to  endeavor  to  acquire  both  the 
spirit  and  the  gift  of  prayer.  Not  only  so,  but  when  he  is  to  enter  on  particu- 
lar acts  of  worship,  he  should  endeavor  to  compose  his  spirit,  and  to  digest 
his  thoughts  for  prayer,  that  it  may  be  performed  with  dignity  and  propriety, 
as  well  as  to  the  profit  of  those  who  join  in  it ;  and  that  he  may  not  disgrace 
that  important  service  by  mean,  irregular,  or  extravagant  effusions. 

The  entire  chapter  on  "Admission  to  Sealing  Ordinances"  is 
an  addition,  and  thus  extracts  the  kernel  of  truth  from  the 
error  of  Confirmation : 

"  Children  born  within  the  pale  of  the  visible  Church,  and  dedicated  to  God 
in  baptism,  are  under  the  inspection  and  government  of  the  Church,  and  are 
to  be  taught  to  read  and  repeat  the  Catechism,  the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  the 
Lord's  Prayer.  They  are  to  be  taught  to  pray,  to  abhor  sin,  to  fear  God,  and 
to  obey  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And,  when  they  come  to  years  of  discretion, 
if  they  be  free  from  scandal,  appear  sober  and  steady,  and  have  sufficient 
knowledge  to  discern  the  Lord's  body,  they  ought  to  be  informed  it  is  their 
duty  and  privilege  to  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper." 

While  such  significant  additions  as  these  are  to  be  noticed, 
it  is  still  to  be  regretted  that  the  suggestions  in  reference  to 
the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  of  the  Psalms  should  not 
have  been  more  fully  retained,  and  that  the  specific  direction 
as  to  the  use  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  should  have  been  inconsist- 
ently, (see  Larger  Catechism,  Q.  187,)  and  no  doubt  inadvert- 
ently, omitted. 

The  Directory,  as  thus  amended  at  its  adoption,  has  remained, 
without  material  alteration,  our  authorized  guide  in  public  wor- 
ship ;  but  the  spirit  which  ruled  in  those  amendments  has  con- 


THE  BOOK  OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  17 

tinued  in  various  ways  to  express  itself.  The  insertion  of  that 
form  in  our  hymn  books,  designed  for  use  in  divine  service; 
the  issue  by  our  Board  of  such  manuals  as  "  Miller  on  Public 
Prayer,"  the  "Sailor's  Companion;  or,  Book  of  Public  and 
Private  Devotions  for  Seamen,"  and  the  publication  of  such 
works  as  "Eutaxia,  or  the  Presbyterian  Liturgies,"  and  "A 
Book  of  Public  Prayer,  Compiled  from  the  Authorized  Formu- 
laries of  the  Presbyterian  Church,"  are  marks  of  a  growing 
opinion  in  this  matter ;  to  which  may  be  added  the  more  prac- 
tical experiment  of  the  "  St.  Peter's  Church,"  at  Rochester. 

Even  in  the  mother  Church  of  Scotland,  on  the  very  battle- 
ground of  the  Directory,  the  Moderator  of  the  last  General 
Assembly,  in  his  opening  sermon,*  has  recommended  and  ably 
advocated  a  more  liturgical  mode  of  worship,  as  essential  to  the 
preservation  and  extension  of  the  Church  in  some  communities. 
And  if  we  choose  to  look  around  us,  we  shall  see  on  every  side 
sister  Churches  and  denominations,  occupied  with  the  problem 
of  a  liturgy  that  shall  retain  all  that  is  valuable  in  the  Church 

*  He  explains  that  there  are  many  who- "are  dissatisfied,  not  with  our  doc- 
trine, but  with  our  external  forms  of  worship.  The  complaint  is,  that  our  ser- 
vices are  bald  and  cold;  that  they  are  ill-fitted  to  evoke  the  feelings  and 
emotions  which  become  worshippers;  that  we  come  together  rather  as  an 
audience  to  hear  a  lecturer  or  teacher,  than  to  pour  forth  our  confessions,  and 
desires,  and  prayers  for  mercy  and  forgiveness  through  the  blood  of  Christ ; 
that  when  prayer  is  made,  it  is  rather  that  of  presiding  ministers  than  of  the 
assembled  people ;  that  they  are  wholly  at  the  discretion  of  one  man,  however 
mediocre  may  be  his  gifts ;  that  this  is  in  no  reasonable  sense  common  prayer, 
for  that  they  often  toil  after  him  in  vain ;  that  through  our  present  system 
they  are  made  passive  and  silent,  rather  than  living  worshippers,  and  are 
not  called  to  confess  within  the  sanctuary  the  Lord  Jesus  with  the  mouth, 
though  it  be  written,  'With  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness;    and 

with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation.' The  regulation  of 

these  different  matters,  if  there  is  truth  in  ecclesiastical  history,  was,  at  one 
period  at  least,  left  to  congregations  and  their  pastors  and  rulers;  and  to  them 
it  is  humbly  submitted,  this  Church  might  commit  such  power  with  greater 
security  than  any  other,  inasmuch  as  if  any  attempt  was  made  to  return  to 
the  forms  and  usages  of  a  better  age,  against  the  mind  of  a  major  part  of  the 
congregation,  or  even  to  the  offending  of  the  honest  prepossessions  of  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  it,  we  have,  through  the  subordination  of  our  judicatories, 
ample  means  of  granting  redress." 

He  adds,  "  Many  clergymen  and  members  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  not 
the  least  in  name,  acquirements,  and  worth,  have  frequently  discussed  the 
matter  with  me,  and  have  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion." 


18  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

of  the  past,  and  yet  be  adapted  to  the  Church  of  the  present 
and  the  future. 

But  the  general  inference  ve  ■would  now  draw  from  the  facts 
before  us,  is,  that  there  has  always  been,  throughout  our 
history,  what  may  be  called  a  liturgical  type  or  phase  of  Pres- 
byterianism,  and  that  its  advocates  are  of  unimpeachable  ortho- 
doxy and  piety;  being  so  attached  to  our  Directory  as  the  only 
safe  universal  guide  for  the  whole  Church,  that  they  "  do 
not  approve  of  confining"  pastors  or  congregations  to  liturgies, 
and  yet  maintaining  a  voluntary  and  judicious  use  of  them,  in 
cases  where  it  is  plainly  needed  and  desired,  to  be  not  only 
consistent  with  our  standards,  but  part  of  that  liberty  where- 
with Christ  hath  made  his  people  free.  And  if  it  be  asked 
why  so  little  practical  success  has  hitherto  sanctioned  their 
views,  we  need  only  mention  two  reasons  as  sufficient  to  account 
for  past  failures. 

One  fatal  mistake  has  been  that  of  attempting  to  compose^ 
rather  than  simply  to  compile,  a  liturgy.  The  Presbyterian 
Commissioners  in  the  Savoy  Conference,  by  offering  the  effu- 
sion of  one  mind,  Baxter's  "  Reformed  Liturgy,"  as  a  fit 
addition  to  the  Prayer-book,  were  betrayed  into  an  error, 
which  was  most  adroitly  turned  against  them  by  their  adver- 
saries; and  our  first  Assembly's  Committee  of  Revision  were  on 
the  same  path,  when  they  recommended  to  the  whole  Church, 
though  only  as  a  sample,  a  new  devotional  production  of  their 
own,  ignoring  even  the  hallowed  formularies  of  Calvin  and  Knox. 
Scarcely  less  questionable  is  our  Church  pride  and  sensitiveness 
sometimes  shown  in  reference  to  the  Prayer-book,  as  if  that 
excellent  compilation,  so  largely  referable  to  Presbyterian 
sources  and  sanctions,  were  an  exclusively  Episcopalian  produc- 
tion, or  as  if  it  were  needful  to  repudiate  the  common  treasury 
of  Christian  devotion  from  which  much  of  it  was  taken.  If  we 
intend  to  act  upon  this  principle  in  our  public  worship,  we 
must  winnow  out  of  our  hymn-book  its  Roman  Catholic,  Epis- 
copalian, and  Methodist  hymns,  and  restrict  ourselves  to  Pres- 
byterian poems,  set  to  Presbyterian  airs ;  and  the  reformation 
will  not  be  complete  until  we  have  a  Committee  on  "  Ecclesi- 
ology,"  (in  the  pretty  sense  of  the  word,)  to  devise  for  us  a 
church  architecture,  less  heathen  or  more  Protestant  than  the 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  19 

Greek  or  Gothic  temples  in  which  some  of  our  congregations 
are  content  to  worship.  The  truth  is,  that,  strictly  speaking, 
a  liturgy,  like  a  creed  or  confession,  cannot  he  the  product  of 
any  one  mind  or  age,  or  even  sect  of  the  Church ;  and  it  is  no 
wonder  that  good  sense  and  good  taste  have  always  combined 
with  true  piety  in  eschewing  forms  of  worship,  whether  pres- 
cribed or  extemporaneous,  which  are  full  of  individual  conceits 
and  capricious  novelties. 

But  the  other,  and  not  less  serious,  mistake  which  has  been 
made,  is  that  of  hoping  to  impose,  or  in  any  way  introduce  a 
liturgy  throughout  the  entire  Church,  without  regard  to  its 
diversified  condition.  We  have  seen  that  our  whole  history  is 
a  protest  against  the  interference  of  the  civil  power  in  such 
matters;  many  things  in  the  Prayer-book  which  were  simply 
indiferent,  or  even  laudable,  having  been  resisted  to  the  utmost, 
when  by  law  enjoined  as  terms  of  communion;  and  the  same 
instinct  of  liberty  rises  against  any  abuse  of  even  Church  power 
in  the  details  of  public  worship.  The  genius  of  presbytery,  the 
world  over,  cannot  endure  any  thing  more  stringent  than  a 
Directory,  or  system  of  general  rules  and  suggestions;  and  to 
picture  her  vast  communion,  ministers  and  congregations,  ser- 
vilely drilled  through  a  course  of  changing  vestments,  intona- 
tions, and  demeanors,  would  be  the  wildest  of  fancies.  It  may 
be  questioned,  indeed,  whether  so  simple  a  thing  as  an  ecclesi- 
astical recommendation,  though  it  were  in  favor  of  the  best 
liturgy  that  could  be  framed,  would  be,  if  warrantable,  on  any 
account  desirable.  Our  Church,  as  a  Church,  might  find  in 
such  appliances  a  hindrance  to  her  own  growth,  efiiciency,  and 
spirituality;  as  is  shown  by  the  fact,  that  the  denomination 
which  adheres  to  an  imposed  liturgy  cannot  take  it  eflectively 
outside  of  the  cities,  into  the  country,  or  to  the  frontiers. 
Moreover,  in  a  land  so  vast  and  varied  as  ours,  any  thing  like 
strict  uniformity  of  worship  is,  in  the  nature  of  things,  unat- 
tainable. It  is  unreasonable  that  a  congregation  in  St.  Louis 
or  New  York  should  have  all  its  appliances  of  devotion  exactly 
like  those  of  a  congregation  in  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania,  or 
of  Kansas,  and  such  a  rigid  correspondence  does  not,  in  fact, 
exist  throughout  our  bounds.  The  Church  has,  therefore, 
wisely  foreborne  either  to  enjoin  or  to  forbid  choirs,  organs, 


20  DIRECTORY   OF   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

particular  styles  of  architecture  and  furniture,  or  a  stated  order 
and  form  of  the  several  parts  of  public  worship ;  and  it  may  be 
safely  assumed  that  all  parties  would  unite  in  deprecating  any 
ecclesiastical  action  in  reference  to  such  questions,  as  not  only 
unnecessary,  but  an  invasion  of  that  constitutional  liberty  in 
things  indifferent,  which  we  prize  as  second  only  to  our  uni- 
formity in  things  essential. 

In  several  remaining  articles  we  propose  to  discuss  the  ex- 
isting abuses  of  our  Directory,  or  the  evils  which  have  arisen 
under  it,  and  the  available  remedies  and  improvements. 


ARTICLE  IV. 

MINISTERIAL   NEGLECTS,   AND   THEIR  REMEDIES   UNDER   THE 
DIRECTORY. 

In  public  worship,  the  two  human  parties  are  the  minister 
and  the  congregation — the  former  leading  in  the  service,  and 
the  latter  accompanying  him  with  the  heart,  or  in  some  parts, 
with  the  voice  also ;  and,  for  the  guidance  of  these  two  parties, 
the  Directory  gives  certain  general  rules  and  suggestions. 
Let  us  consider,  in  this  article,  the  ministerial  requisites  of 
edifying  worship;  and  we  would  do  this  in  no  censorious  or 
critical  spirit,  but  only  out  of  love  to  that  Church  which  is  the 
mother  of  us  all,  and  from  a  conviction  that  the  defects  in  our 
present  practice  are  already  generally  admitted  and  regretted, 
and  all  the  more  readily,  because  they  are  not  past  remedy. 
The  writer,  indeed,  is  simply  confessing  for  himself,  as  well  as 
for  others. 

And  let  it  be  candidly  asked,  at  the  outset,  if  our  ministry 
have  not,  as  a  body,  widely  departed  from  the  direction  that 
"one  primary  design  of  public  ordinances  is  to  pay  social  acts 
of  homage  to  the  Most  High  Gf-od;"  and  if,  in  yielding  to  the 
popular  taste  for  able  and  eloquent  sermons,  they  are  not 
neglecting  the  prescribed  general  and  special  preparation  "for 
this  part  of  their  duty  as  well  as  for  preaching?"     No  true 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRATER.  21 

Presbyterian,  indeed,  would  wish  to  see  the  pulpit  thrust  aside 
in  our  worship.  It  is  the  glory  of  Protestant,  as  it  was  of 
primitive  Christianity;  and  our  Church,  in  so  carefully  fur- 
nishing herself  with  a  race  of  educated  preachers  and  scholars, 
has  acquired  a  hold  upon  the  intellectual  classes,  as  distin- 
guished from  the  merely  fashionable,  or  the  merely  vulgar, 
which  makes  her  the  bulwark  of  all  conservatism  throuo;hout 
the  land.  But  while  we  have  thus  signally  escaped  the  evil 
which  existed  when,  according  to  the  Westminster  divines,* 
"  the  reading  of  common  prayer  was  made  no  better  than  an 
idol  by  many  ignorant  and  superstitious  people,  who,  pleasing 
themselves  in  their  presence  at  that  service,  and  their  lip- 
labour  in  bearing  a  part  in  it,  have  thereby  hardened  them- 
selves in  their  ignorance  and  carelessness  of  true  knowledge 
and  saving  piety,"  may  we  not  meanwhile  have  lapsed  towards 
the  opposite  error,  of  making  no  better  than  an  idol  the  read- 
ing of  a  sermon,  by  so  allowing  it  to  "exclude  or  interfere 
with  the  more  important  duties  of  prayer  and  praise,"  that 
they  are  degraded  into  a  mere  hasty  prelude  of  the  preacher, 
or  "disgraced  with  mean,  irregular,  or  extravagant  eifusions." 

Some  eminent  exceptions,  indeed,  there  are  to  this  general 
neglect;  but  it  cannot  be  denied  that  in  too  many  cases  there 
is  neither  "a  just  proportion  between  the  several  parts  of  pub- 
lic worship,"  nor  any  evidence  of  the  required  carefulness  that 
they  "may  be  performed  with  dignity  and  propriety,  as  well  as 
to  the  profit  of  those  who  join  in  them."  The  matter,  form, 
and  arrangement  of  them  have  been  left  to  chance  or  impulse. 
The  psalms,  hymns,  and  Scripture  readings,  or  lessons,  are 
selected  at  random,  or  upon  no  obvious  principle;  and  the 
prayers  are  long  and  rambling  effusions  of  what  happens  to 
come  uppermost  in  the  mind.  All  is  vague,  crude,  and  unedi- 
fying;  and  the  congregation,  sympathizing  with  the  preacher, 
are  glad  to  despatch  their  devotions  and  come  to  the  sermon, 
where  they  can  have  something  more  orderly  and  intelligible. 

It  is,  indeed,  often  urged,  in  extenuation  of  these  evils,  that 
worshippers  are,  or  ought  to  be,  in  a  less  critical  mood  during 
the  devotional  than  the  more  didactic  part  of  the  service,  and 

*  Preface  to  the  Westminster  Directory. 


22  DIKECTOEY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

certain  texts  are  quoted  in  favor  of  the  minister's  literally 
taking  no  thought  what  shall  be  said,  and  relying  upon  the 
Holy  Spirit  absolutely  for  good  utterance,  as  well  as  right  feel- 
ing. It  would  be  easy  to  parry  such  texts,  and  to  quote  coun- 
ter-texts ; — "  God  is  not  the  author  of  confusion  in  the  churches 
of  his  saints;"  "I  will  pray  with  the  Spirit,  and  I  will  pray 
with  the  understanding  also;"  "Let  all  things  be  done  decently 
and  in  order;"  or  to  cite  that  methodical  form  of  devotion, 
combining  both  directory  and  liturgy,  which  our  Lord  taught 
his  disciples.  But  we  admit  the  general  principle  asserted, 
while  we  still  insist  upon  its  proper  limitations.  The  most 
acceptable  and  edifying  public  worship  is,  unquestionably,  that 
in  which  the  minister's  form  and  the  people's  feeling  are 
directly  prompted  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  yet  what  shall  be 
said  of  that  in  which  the  form  does  not  fully  express  the  feel- 
ing, but  in  many  ways  positively  thwarts  or  destroys  it — in 
which  there  is  no  well-ordered  system  of  hymns,  psalms,  les- 
sons, and  prayers,  by  which  to  excite,  sustain,  and  guide  devo- 
tion ;  and  in  which  the  worshipper  is  either  driven  from  public 
into  private  prayer,  or  rendered  the  worst  of  formalists?  The 
late  Dr.  Miller,  in  his  work  upon  this  subject,*  has  enumerated 
many,  but  by  no  means  all,  of  the  defective  forms  or  modes  of 
public  prayer,  such  as  the  repetitious,  the  tedious,  the  irreve- 
rent, the  incoherent,  the  unseaso7iable,  the  political,  the  compli- 
mentary, the  didactic,  the  rhetorical,  the  sarcastic,  &c.  We 
ask,  in  all  Christian  candor,  if  it  is  not  a  gross  abuse  of  the 
doctrine  of  spiritual  gifts  and  influences,  to  rank  such  effusions 
as  utterances  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  to  impose  them  upon  a 
worshipping  assembly  as  their  prayers?  They  are  not  theirs, 
and  cannot  be  made  theirs,  any  further  than  they  actually 
express  the  desires  of  their  hearts,  and  are,  on  their  part, 
intelligently  and  devoutly  offered  up  unto  God. 

And  this  great  and  growing  neglect  is  already  telling  injuri- 
ously upon  our  whole  system.  We  believe  we  only  utter  a 
common  sentiment,  when  we  say  that,  on  the  one  hand,  it  has 
increased  the  taste  for  a  style  of  "sensational"  preaching 
which  but  few  ministers  can  acquire  or  sustain ;  and,  on  the 

*  Miller  on  Public  Prayer,  Chap.  iv. 


THE   BOOK    OF   COMMON  PRAYER.  23 

other  hand,  has  rendered  all  public  prayer  and  praise  a  mere 
foil  to  the  sermon.  The  pulpit  has  become  the  rival  of  the 
rostrum,  and  mere  intellectual  entertainment  substituted  for 
devout  communion  with  God.  The  people  take  refuge  from 
the  service  in  the  discourse,  and  the  discourse  is  elaborated  at 
the  expense  of  the  service.  Whereas,  the  need  of  careful  pre- 
paration for  the  one  only  exceeds  that  for  the  other  by  as  much 
as  what  is  offered  in  the  form  of  prayer  or  praise  to  God,  is 
more  momentous  than  what  is  addressed  in  the  form  of  mere 
argument  or  appeal  to  man. 

Now,  the  obvious  remedy  for  these  evils  is  to  have  some  plan 
or  method  of  preparing  and  conducting  the  several  parts  of 
public  worship,  by  means  of  which  the  whole  service  shall  be 
made  at  least  coherent  and  intelligible.  With  most  ministers 
the  only  plan  would  seem  to  be  to  adapt  the  lessons,  hymns, 
and  prayers  mainly  to  the  sermon.  But,  while  this  may  be 
convenient,  it  can  scarcely  be  called  reasonable ;  for,  unless  his 
subject  has  been  before  announced,  or  the  occasion  itself  is 
suggestive,  the  congregation  are  left  to  grope  after  him,  vaguely 
guessing  his  meaning,  or  else  to  worship  without  any  intelligent 
sympathy  with  him,  or  with  one  another.  Leaving  this  princi- 
ple to  be  adopted  when  circumstances  require  it,  a  better  me- 
thod, we  suggest,  would  be  ordinarily  to  frame  the  services 
before  the  discourse  entirely  independent  of  it,  or  at  least  to 
have  some  obvious  system  in  which  the  sermon  shall  follow  as 
part  of  the  worship,  and  not  the  worship  precede  as  a  mere 
vague  prologue  to  the  sermon.  The  reason  for  this  is,  that 
there  are  certain  "social  acts  of  homage,"  which  every  congre- 
gation, on  ordinary  occasions,  ought  to  offer,  whatever  may  be 
the  particular  theme  the  preacher  has  chosen.  Besides  his 
special  instruction,  there  are  acts  of  confession,  supplication, 
intercession,  thanksgiving,  praise,  and  hearing  of  God's  word, 
which  must  be  suited  to  the  various  classes,  states,  and  charac- 
ters of  a  mixed  assembly,  and  without  which  their  service  can- 
not be  called  public  worship.  And  to  say  that  every  minister 
can  properly  express  and  conduct  these  varied  devotions  with- 
out any  plan  or  forethought,  is  to  say  what  every  minister 
knows  to  be  simply  impossible.  It  is  for  the  want  of  such  plan 
and  forethought  that  large  portions  of  the  Scriptures  are  never 


24  DIRECTORY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,    AND 

read  in  our  churches;  that  there  is  scarcely  ever  a  complete 
service  in  which  no  part  is  slighted  or  exaggerated,  and  no 
class  of  worshippers  neglected,  and  that  in  general  the  minis- 
trations of  each  pastor  are  of  necessity  so  impressed  with  his 
own  individuality,  that  the  people  neither  receive  from  God  his 
whole  Word,  nor  can  publicly  offer  to  God  their  whole  heart. 
And  though  we  would  not  have  the  ministry,  as  a  body,  come 
under  the  bondage  of  an  inflexible  system,  yet  we  see  no  reason 
why  any  minister  might  not  for  himself  so  systematize  the  ordi- 
nary church  service  as  to  secure  at  once  his  own  convenience 
and  profit,  and  the  edification  of  his  fellow-worshippers.  The 
leading  features  of  such  a  system  may  be  briefly  indicated  as 
follows : 

1.  He  might  arrange  a  yearly  course  of  Scripture  lessons  for 
the  instruction  of  the  people  in  the  entire  word  of  God,  by 
reading  in  every  service  from  both  Testaments  (according  to 
the  suggestion  of  the  original  Directory,)  not  necessarily  whole 
chapters,  (which  divisions  are  not  inspired,  and  are  often  too 
lengthy  for  a  single  reading,)  but  brief  portions,  selected  in  the 
order  of  the  sacred  books  themselves,  or  upon  some  other  scrip- 
tural and  rational  principle.  As  Christ  is  the  end  and  sum  of 
both  dispensations,  there  could  be  no  more  effective  mode  of 
unfolding  the  whole  divine  revelation  than  that  of  converging, 
Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  the  blended  light  oi  history  ox^di  prophecy, 
oi  gospel  and  epistle,  upon  the  leading  events  of  his  life,  and  the 
main  features  of  his  doctrine.  And  these  lessons  might  be' 
separated  or  followed  by  a  prayer  or  hymn  in  keeping  with 
them,  or  suited  to  give  devotional  expression  to  them.  Such 
an  arrangement,  besides  imparting  variety  and  unity  to  the 
service,  would  also  afford  that  much-needed  relief  and  help,  a 
stated  supply  of  themes  for  the  sermon. 

2.  He  might  adhere  to  some  simple  method  in  the  stated 
public  prayers,  by  at  least  keeping  each  class  of  them  distinct 
and  proportionate,  so  that  neither  the  confessions,  nor  supplica- 
tions, nor  intercessions,  nor  thanksgiviiigs  of  the  congregation 
should  be  omitted,  nor  "the  whole  rendered  too  short  or  too 
tedious."  The  Directory  further  recommends,  besides  the  cul- 
tivation of  personal  piety,  pre-arrangeraent  and  pre-meditation 
as  to  the  matter  of  such  devotions;  but  whether  as  to  the  form 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  25 

of  them,  there  should  be  any  thing  like  composition  or  compi- 
lation from  the  Scriptures,  and  the  best  models,  is  not  decided, 
and  cannot  be,  by  any  general  rule.  "Let  every  man  be  fully 
persuaded  in  his  own  mind."  It  is  certain,  that  the  public 
prayers  of  some  of  the  holiest  and  most  gifted  ministers,  such 
as  Drs.  Green  and  Chalmers,  were  often  as  carefully  prepared 
as  their  sermons ;  and  it  is  equally  certain,  that  the  ministra- 
tions of  other  eminent  preachers  would  have  been  greatly  im- 
proved by  such  preparation.  Those  who  most  oppose  it,  are 
generally  those  who  most  need  it.  There  is  much  ignorant 
prejudice  in  reference  to  this  grave  matter.  Because  the  warm, 
unstudied  effusions  of  a  good  man,  evidently  in  communion 
with  God,  and  himself  as  remarkable  for  prudence  as  for  piety, 
are  confessedly  better  than  the  most  sincere  recitation,  and 
infinitely  better  than  the  mere  formal  reading  of  prayers,  we 
absurdly  elevate  the  rare  exception  into  a  rule.  But  there  is 
no  practical  evidence  in  our  ministry  to  support  the  specious 
pretension;  and  until  the  preacher  has  given  proof  of  an  apos- 
tolic gift  of  utterance,  it  is  surely  questionable  whether  he 
ought  to  leave  his  follow-worshippers  wholly  at  the  mercy  of 
his  moods  and  caprices. 

8.  He  might  arrange  the  several  parts  of  worship  in  some 
natural  order  or  succession,  by  which  the  worshipper  should 
be  conducted  from  the  simple  to  the  more  difficult  and  intimate 
stages  of  devotion;  beginning  with  an  Invocation,  or  act  of 
Humiliation  and  Confession,  and  thence  proceeding  to  the 
Reading  of  the  Law  and  the  Gospel,  with  Confession  of  Faith, 
through  the  Supplications  and  Intercessions,  to  the  crowning 
acts  of  Thanksgiving  and  Praise.  And  sometimes  might  be 
used  with  profit  those  excellent  summaries  of  these  several 
parts  of  public  service,  the  Comrnandments^  the  Beatitudes,  the 
Apostles'  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  that  well-digested 
series  of  petitions  contained  in  the  reformed  Litany,  the  whole 
being  preceded  by  one  of  the  reformed  Confessions. 

4.  He  might  both  have  and  use  a  form  in  those  ceremonial 
offices,  for  which  the  Directory  provides  only  general  rules,  but 
which  cannot,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  be  wholly  extemporized 
— such  as  the  "Administration  of  Baptism,"  "Administration 
of  the  Lord's  Supper,"   "Admission    of  Persons  to    Sealing 


26  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

Ordinances,"  "Solemnization  of  Marriage,"  "Burial  of  the 
Dead,"  ko.  It  is  matter  of  general  complaint,  if  not  loud,  yet 
deep,  that  these  solemn  occasions  are  so  often  marred  by  crude 
and  random  effusions.  If  only  a  few  well-chosen  sentences  of 
Scripture  were  pronounced  at  such  times,  it  would  be  far  better 
than  the  mere  desultory  harangues  to  which  intelligent  and 
devout  assemblies  are  sometimes  subjected. 

But  to  sum  up  all  in  one  word,  the  minister  might  have  an 
exemplified  Directory  or  Liturgy  of  his  own,  such  as  was  com- 
mon in  all  the  early  and  some  of  the  modern  Presbyterian 
churches.  If  the  only  objection  would  be,  the  labour  of  com- 
posing or  compiling  it,  we  hope  yet  to  show  that  this  is  an 
objection  which  can  easily  be  avoided. 


ARTICLE   V. 

CONGREGATIONAL     NEGLECTS     AND     THEIR    REMEDIES    UNDER    THE 

DIRECTORY. 

Whatever  may  be  the  abuses  and  evils  in  the  ministerial 
department  of  our  public  worship,  we  believe  them  to  be  fully 
equalled  by  those  which  prevail  in  that  of  the  congregation ; 
and  because  the  latter  are  the  parties  primarily  interested, 
their  peculiar  errors,  as  well  as  rights  and  duties,  should  be  all 
the  more  freely  canvassed.  It  would,  indeed,  be  much  plea- 
santer  to  picture  our  whole  theory,  realized  both  in  a  ministry 
endowed  with  apostolic  gifts,  and  in  assemblies  rapt  in  pente- 
costal  fervors;  but  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  very  first  step 
towards  amendment,  is  to  deal  honestly  with  the  facts  as  we 
find  them. 

And  we,  therefore,  afiirm  it  to  be  as  undeniable  as  it  is 
lamentable,  that  in  many  of  our  congregations  a  growing  sup- 
pression has  been  taking  the  place  of  all  proper  expression  of 
devotional  feeling.  Judging  by  appearances,  in  some  cases, 
the  great  mass  would  seem  no  longer  to  go  to  church  to  wor- 
ship God,  so  much  as  to  hear  choirs  and  sermons.     They  sit 


THE  BOOK   OF   COMMON    PRAYER.  2? 

between  the  pulpit  and  the  organ,  in  mute  compliance,  while 
their  prayers  and  praises  are  performed  by  proxy.  With  all 
our  boasted  Protestantism,  we  have  in  the  heart  of  our  com- 
munion the  essence  of  the  Roman  ritual,  a  vicarious  service^  of 
which  the  people  are  but  auditors,  and  in  which,  sometimes, 
they  can  no  more  individually  participate  than  if  priest  and 
choir  were  praying  and  singing  for  them  in  a  separate  per- 
formance. 

Some  signal  exceptions,  indeed,  there  may  be  to  this  gene- 
ral decline  of  congregational  worship ;  but  the  mournful  fact  is 
conspicuous,  that  our  assemblies,  as  a  class,  neither  "praise 
God  in  a  becoming  manner,  with  their  voices,  as  well  as  with 
their  hearts,"  nor  intelligently  unite  in  "offering  up  their 
desires  to  God  for  things  agreeable  to  his  will."  Those  solemn 
functions  have  been  delegated  to  the  choir  and  the  preacher, 
in  whose  hands  they  have  become  respectively  mere  artistic 
performances,  and  individual  rhapsodies.  In  many  cases  the 
people  do  not,  simply  because  they  cannot,  pray  or  sing ;  and 
the  words,  "Let  us  pray,"  or  "Let  us  sing,"  are  but  dead 
formulas — hints  of  a  duty,  echoes  of  a  reality. 

It  is  sometimes  urged,  in  extenuation  of  these  abuses,  that 
the  several  parts  of  divine  service  ought  to  be  thus  committed 
to  qualified  proxies,  in  order  that  by  the  free  exercise  of  their 
superior  gifts,  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  body 
of  worshippers  shall  be  edified ;  and  the  example  of  the  primi- 
tive Christian  assemblies  is  cited  in  illustration.  We  need  not 
deny  the  general  doctrine,  while  we  insist  that  it  should  at 
least  be  carefully  and  consistently  applied.  That  is  unques- 
tionably the  most  edifying  form  of  public  worship,  in  which 
those  most  gifted  in  prayer  and  praise  shall  lead,  while  the 
rest  of  the  assembly  accompany  or  follow  them ;  but  even  the 
inspired  prophets  and  many-tongued  psalmists,  in  the  early 
Church,  were  admonished  by  the  apostle  to  be  intelligible,  as 
well  as  fervent,  and  on  no  pretence  to  intrude  mere  private 
rhapsody  into  public  worship.  So  likewise  now,  the  minister 
may  "pray  with  the  Spirit;"  but  except  he  "pray  with  the 
understanding  also,"  and  "utter  by  the  tongue  words  easy  to 
be  understood,  how  shall  it  be  known  what  is  spoken,  for  he 
shall  speak  into  the  air?"     And  the  minstrels  may  "sing  with 


28  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,  AND 

the  Spirit;"  but  except  they  "sing  with  the  understanding 
also,"  and  "give  a  distinction  in  the  sounds,  how  shall  it  be 
known  what  is  piped  or  harped?"  If  it  be  granted  that  each 
"edifieth  himself,"  yet  it  cannot  be  said  that  "the  church  is 
edified;"  and  when  it  is  evident  that  neither  party  is  edified, 
but  that  the  public  praises  are  a  mere  display  of  soprano,  con- 
tralto, tenor,  and  bass,  by  an  invisible  quartette,  and  the  public 
prayers  a  mere  exposure  of  the  preacher's  own  personal  feel- 
ings, and  even  conceits,  prejudices,  and  errors,  "how  shall  he 
that  occupieth  the  room  of  the  unlearned  (layman  or  private 
person)  say  Amen?".  "We  sometimes  hear  the  services  criti- 
cised, not  less  freely  than  the  sermon,  as  "interesting,"  "im- 
pressive," "beautiful,"  "eloquent,"  or  as  the  reverse  of  these. 
In  the  name  of  the  Apostle,  we  ask  if  this  was  what  he  meant 
by  "excelling  in  spiritual  gifts,  to  the  edifying  of  the  church," 
or  if  such  performances  themselves  can,  in  any  proper  sense, 
be  regarded  as  "social  acts  of  homage  to  the  Most  High  God." 

And  the  natural  effect  of  this  vicarious  system  has  been,  not 
only  to  rob  the  people  of  their  prayers  and  praises,  but  to 
destroy  all  wholesome  relish  on  their  part  for  more  congrega- 
tional worship,  if  not,  in  some  cases,  to  foster  a  depraved  taste 
for  the  impressive,  rather  than  the  expressive  forms  of  religious 
service.  How  could  this  be  otherwise  ?  The  worshipper,  from 
being  a  passive  auditor,  easily  becomes  a  mere  critic  of  the 
whole  performance,  and  craves  only  what  shall  pleasantly  afi'ect 
his  ear  or  his  imagination,  or  readily  fall  in  with  his  taste  and 
prejudices.  According  as  the  choir  do  their  part,  well  or  ill, 
he  approves  or  disapproves.  If  he  is  sometimes  "prayed  into 
a  good  mood"  by  the  preacher,  he  is  at  other  times  "prayed 
out  of  it."  And  thus  he  becomes  more  regardful  of  the  human 
agents  in  worship,  than  of  the  Divine  majesty  and  presence, 
and  loses  that  sense  of  individual  responsibility,  which  would  be 
sustained  and  kept  awake,  were  he  expressing  his  own  feeling 
by  actually  taking  part,  audibly  and  intelligently,  with  others 
in  common  acts  of  devotion. 

Now,  it  must  be  admitted  that  these  are,  to  some  extent, 
necessary  evils,  not  absolutely  peculiar  to  our  system  of  wor- 
ship; and  that  the  most  direct  and  effective  remedy  for  them 
is  to  be  sought  in  the  cultivation  of  an  earnest  and  spiritual 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  20 

piety,  on  the  part  of  both  ministers  and  people.  It  is,  indeed, 
most  true,  that  did  both  parties  habitually  live  near  to  God, 
and  come  together  in  the  church  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  our 
worshipping  assemblies  would  be  shaken  as  with  a  mighty  wind 
of  holy  fervor,  and  pray  and  sing  as  with  tongues  of  flame ;  and 
in  times  of  revival,  we  are  brought  to  some  faint  appreciation 
of  this  lost  ideal.  But  it  is  sheer  folly,  in  the  face  of  such 
facts  as  have  been  detailed,  to  act  upon  a  theory  fit  only  for 
prophets  and  psalmists,  and  even  by  them  only  too  soon  and 
sadly  perverted;  and  if  we  would  escape  that  spasmodic  type 
of  piety,  which  at  once  necessitates  and  abuses  revivals  of  reli- 
gion, we  must  not,  in  ordinary  times  at  least,  disdain  the  means 
of  normal,  healthy  growth  and  culture. 

We  would,  therefore,  advocate  the  use  of  any  right  expe- 
dients which  can  be  devised  for  bringing  the  congregation  into 
more  direct  sympathy  and  outward  union  with  the  minister, 
and  with  one  another,  in  their  common  devotions.  Nothing 
which  can  further  such  important  ends  is  too  insignificant  to  be 
considered.  In  social  services,  such  a  trifle  as  gathering 
together  a  thin,  scattered  assembly,  into  a  compact  body,  will 
free  them  from  the  sense  of  formality  and  coldness  that  would 
otherwise  prevail ;  and  in  more  public  services,  a  similar  benefit 
might  be  attained  by  bringing  the  minister  down  from  his  stilted 
pulpit,  and  the  choir  out  of  their  distant  loft,  and  more  visibly 
and  audibly  associating  them  with  the  mass  of  their  fellow- 
worshippers.  But  without  dwelling  upon  such  details,  we  will 
limit  ourselves  to  one  or  two  general  suggestions,  which  we 
believe  to  be  legitimate  and  practical. 

1.  It  would  greatly  promote  congregational  devotion,  or  true 
public  worship,  to  restore  to  the  whole  assembly  their  peculiar 
privilege  and  bounden  duty  of  "praising  God  by  singing 
psalms  or  hymns,  publicly  in  the  church."  There  is  that  in 
the  very  act  of  such  vocal  utterance  which  is  fitted  to  express 
and  nourish  holy  feeling;  and  choirs,  organs,  choristers,  or 
precentors,  only  succeed  in  their  vocation  in  so  far  as  they 
develope  it  from  the  mass  of  worshippers.  It  is  accordingly 
recommended  in  the  Directory,  "that  we  cultivate  some  know- 
ledge of  the  rules  of  music,"  and  that  "the  whole  congrega- 
tion should  be  furnished  with  books,  and  ought  to  join  in  this 


so  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

part  of  worship;"  for  both  of  which  duties  excellent  provi- 
sion has  been  made  in  our  Psalmodist  and  Hymn  Book.  It 
may  be  questioned  however,  whether  either  Rouse's  or  Watts' 
version  of  the  Psalms  is  to  be  preferred,  either  on  the  score 
of  poetry,  or  of  music,  or  of  devotion,  to  the  literal  version 
chanted  by  the  choir  and  people.  The  responsive  reading  of 
the  Psalter,  though  only  confusing,  and  anything  but  solemn 
to  one  not  taking  part  in  it,  has,  however,  the  recommendation 
that  it  engages  the  attention,  and  helps  the  devotion  of  every 
worshipper;  since  all  may  read,  though  all  cannot  sing. 

2.  It  would  also  be  a  great  improvement,  if  the  congregation 
could  join  more  intelligently  in  the  public  prayers,  as  well  as 
praises,  by  being  no  less  positively  associated  with  the  minister 
than  with  the  chorister.  We  cannot  see  any  such  intrinsic  dif- 
ference between  the  two  services  as  to  demand  the  diverse  prac- 
tice respecting  them.  If  it  is  indispensable,  in  the  nature  of 
the  case,  to  extemporize  the  prayers,  why  not  also  to  improvise 
the  hymns?  or  if  an  assembly  may  devoutly  use  forms  of  praise, 
may  they  not  as  devoutly  use  forms  of  prayer.  The  mere  in- 
tellectual effort  of  composing  or  following  extemporaneous  pro- 
ductions, in  the  solemn  act  of  public  devotion,  is  very  often 
unfavourable  to  simple,  earnest  feeling.  The  listener  becomes 
entangled  with  the  speaker  in  sentence-maiking,  or  is  repelled 
by  expressions  or  sentiments  which,  to  say  the  least,  he  cannot 
readily  adopt  and  offer  up  as  his  own.  But,  could  both  parties 
agree,  as  touching  what  things  they  will  ask,  and  unite  together 
in  the  use  of  the  same  words,  there  would  certainly  be  less  to 
hinder  or  distract  their  common  act  of  worship. 

Whether  audible  responses  ought  also  to  be  added,  as  a  fur- 
ther help  to  congregational  devotion,  is  a  question  of  usage  and 
taste,  rather  than  of  principle.  It  cannot  be  denied,  that  in 
the  ancient  Jewish  and  early  Christian  assemblies,  the  "private 
person,"  as  the  phrase,  "he  that  occupieth  the  room  of  the 
unlearned"  might  be  properly  rendered,  was  wont  literally  to 
"say  Amen."  And  when  we  hear  the  fervid  ejaculations  of 
Methodists  on  the  one  side,  and  the  methodical  responses  of  Epis- 
copalians on  the  other,  we  cannot  affirm  the  custom  to  be  in 
itself  either  undevout  or  indecorous.  Nor  can  it  be  proved  to  be 
wholly  un-presbyterian.    In  our  early  liturgies,  says  the  author 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  8t 

of  "Eutaxia,"  "the  prayers,  by  constant  use  made  familiar  to 
the  people,  were  to  be  followed  silently,  or  in  subdued  tones." 
The  minister  invited  the  people  to  make  the  Confession  of  Sins, 
"following  in  heart  these  words,"  or  "sincerely  saying."  And 
perhaps  this  mental  accompaniment  and  silent  Amen  are  to  be 
preferred,  on  the  whole,  either  to  the  noisy  outcries  or  the 
confused  murmuring  of  our  neighbors.  The  main  thing  is, 
that  the  attention  and  devotion  be  easily  sustained,  and  whe- 
ther the  voice  join  or  respond,  is  immaterial,  if  only  the  minis- 
ter's form,  (for  some  form  every  minister  does  and  must  have,) 
be  so  simple,  suitable,  and  well-known,  that  each  worshipper 
can  follow  it  without  intellectual  fatigue  or  confusion,  and  with 
a  fully  assenting  mind. 

Besides  the  Amen  in  ancient  worship  was  used  the  Selah,  or 
pause  for  silent  devotion,  which,  though  also  designed  as  a 
"rest"  in  the  musical  performance  of  praise,  might  equally 
well,  in  accordance  with  modern  usage,  be  employed  for  prayer. 
As  there  are  times  or  moods  in  which  the  minister  will  be 
prompted  to  fresh,  unpremeditated  utterances,  for  which  no 
formulary  can  make  due  provision,  so  there  may  be  occasions, 
in  solemn  assemblies,  especially  in  time  of  communion  at  the 
Lord's  table,  when  intervals  of  silence  will  conduce  far  more 
than  speech  to  true  spiritual  worship.  Let  us  not  disdain  devo- 
tional helps,  from  whatever  source  they  may  be  taken,  but 
remember  that  no  usage  becomes  widely  prevalent  which  is  not 
founded  in  some  legitimate  want  of  human  nature,  whether  it 
be  the  speechless  Quaker  meeting,  or  the  occasional  revival,  or 
the  random  Amen  and  Hallelujah  of  the  Methodist,  or  the 
formal  Litany  and  Collects  of  the  Episcopalian.  It  is  rather 
the  dictate  of  wisdom  to  cull  out  the  good  from  the  evil,  and,  if 
possible,  avoid  the  abuses  and  extremes  of  a  partial  system,  by 
combining  occasional  free  prayer  of  the  minister,  and  silent 
prayer  of  the  worshipper,  with  stated  prayers  for  the  whole 
congregation. 

3.  It  would  complete  the  ideal  we  are  framing,  if  the  con- 
gregation, besides  thus  participating  both  in  the  prayers  and  in 
the  praises,  could  also  intelligently  follow  the  minister  through 
his  scheme  of  lessons,  psalms,  and  hymns  for  each  Sunday  of 
the  yearly  course,  by  means  of  a  service-book  or  manual,  com- 


32  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC  WORSHIP,  AND 

panion  to  our  Directory  and  Hymn-book.  Whatever  might  be 
the  advantage  to  the  pastor  of  such  a  scheme,  that  to  the  peo- 
ple would  be  ten-fold  greater,  as  it  would  bring  them  into  per- 
fect sympathy  with  him,  and  render  their  public  worship  what 
it  ought  to  be — a  systematic  instruction  in  the  whole  letter  of 
Scripture,  together  with  an  intelligent  offering  up  unto  God  of 
those  ordinary  prayers  and  praises  which  are  proper  to  every 
Christian  assembly. 

In  a  word,  supposing  such  a  system  of  divine  service  to  have 
been  composed  or  compiled,  in  any  case  where  the  parties 
should  be  mutually  so  disposed,  the  minister  and  congregation 
might  agree,  under  the  general  rules  of  our  Directory,  (as,  in- 
deed, has  already  been  done  in  at  least  one  instance,*)  to  con- 
duct their  public  devotions  by  the  aid  of  a  liturgy.  There  are, 
we  are  aware,  grave  prejudices  and  objections  to  this,  which 
ought  to  be  duly  weighed;  and  we  therefore  propose  to  consider 
them  in  another  article. 


ARTICLE  VI. 

THE    CONSISTENCY   OF   A   FREE   LITURGY   WITH    THE    DIRECTORY. 

We  are  met  on  the  threshold  of  the  question  as  to  liturgies, 
by  a  prejudice  and  a  misconception,  neither  of  which  we  be- 
lieve to  be  scriptural,  reasonable,  or  truly  Presbyterian. 

Of  the  prejudice,  which  does  undoubtedly  prevail,  let  it  be 
said,  in  the  first  place,  that  it  is  by  no  means  universal,  but 
has  taken  root  most  widely  and  deeply  in  the  Scotch  and 
Scotch-Irish  portions  of  our  Church.  We  do  not  wish  to  be 
misunderstood.  It  is  one  of  the  chief  excellencies  of  our  sys- 
tem, whereby  its  true  catholicity  is  approved,  that  it  is  of  no 
mere  national  or  local  origin,  and  cannot  be  absorbed  in  any 
single  ecclesiastical  organization,  such  as  the  Church  of  Rome, 
or  the  Church  of  England,  or  the  Church  of  Scotland;  but 
flourishes  in  all  lands,  in  connection  with  all  races,  and  under 
all  political  systems.  Besides  the  Scotch  type  of  Presbytery, 
we  have  the  Dutch,  the  German,  the  French,  and  the  English ; 

*  See  the  "Church-Book  of  St.  Peter's  Church,"  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


THE   BOOK    OF   COMMON   PRATER.  33 

and  these  several  elements  have  been  so  fused  together  in  our 
American  communion,  and  in  almost  every  Presbyterian  family 
that  has  been  long  enough  in  the  country,  that  no  true  son  of 
such  a  Church  can  be  suspected  of  blaming  or  praising  one  to 
the  disparagement  or  advantage  of  the  other.     While,  there- 
fore, we  hold  to  the  staunch  orthodoxy  of  John  Knox  against 
all  Papistical  superstitions,  and  pantomimic  performances  in 
church,  ancient  or  recent,  we  may  now  at  least  demur  to  his 
destructive  zeal  against  a  certain  Book  of  Common  Prayers, 
about  which  his  conscience  'was  straitened  in  the  time  of  the 
Papal  persecutions,  but  concerning  which,  even  then,  he  could 
draw  from  his  teacher,  John  Calvin,  no  harsher  sentence  than 
that  it  contained  multas  tolerabiles  ineptias  (many  endurable 
trifles);  and  although,  as  all  the  world  knows,  Presbytery  got 
the  better  of  Prelacy  at  Marston-Moor  and  Naseby,  and  was 
finally  only  cheated   out   of    the   Church   of  England   by   a 
majority  of  a  few  votes,*  yet  we  may  begin  to  query  whether, 
when  the  Assembly's  divines  came  to   a  word-fight  with  his 
Majesty's  High-Church  chaplains,   and  so   ably  argued  that 
presbyters,  and  not  bishops,  were  true  successors  of  the  Apos- 
tles, we  were  not,  however,  somewhat  worsted  on  the  liturgical 
question ;  and  whether,  upon  the  whole,  such  learned  and  godly 
Presbyterians  as  Thomas  Manton,  Edmund  Calamy,  William 
Bates,  Richard  Baxter,  did  not  show  better  logic  and  wisdom 
in  afterwards  striving  to  purge  out  the  tolerabiles  inejjtias,  than 
to  throAV  away  the  gold  with  the  dross.     The  truth  is,  that 
throughout  all  these  troubles,  our  Church  was  passing  between 
the  two  fires  of  Prelacy  and  Independency,  liturgy  and  conven- 
ticle— escaping  unhurt,  indeed,  though  not  without  marks  of  the 
flame;  and  to  this  day  the  motto  of  the  mother  Kirk  still  suits 
the  dilemma  of  her  American  daughter — Nee  tamen  consume- 
batur,  with  the  difl'erence,  that  we  now  lean  too  near  to  the 
Puritan,  to  be  in  much  danger  of  the  Churchman. 

But,  in  the  second  place,  it  could  easily  be  shown  that  even 
our  Scotch  prejudice  against  liturgies  is  both  unintelligent  and 
inconsistent.  The  simple  fact  is,  that  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
although  at  present  non-liturgical,  is  not,  and  never  has  been 
anti-liturgical,  but  was  driven  into  its  negative  position  by  "the 

*  See  page  18. 


34  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

unjustifiable  efforts  of  Laud  and  his  master  to  force  a  justly 
obnoxious  litufgy  upon  a  free  people;"*  and  as  one  of  the  ill 
effects  of  that  unhappy  controversy,  we  inherit  a  morbid  terror 
of  everything  approaching  to  form  in  public  worship.  But  the 
earlier  usage,  even  in  the  days  of  Knox,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
very  different.  "The  Book  of  Common  Order,  or  the  Order 
of  the  English  Kirk  at  Geneva,  whereof  John  Knox  was  Minis- 
ter: approved  by  the  famous  and  learned  man,  John  Calvin; 
received  and  used  by  the  Reformed  Kirk  of  Scotland,  and  ordi- 
narily prefixed  to  the  Psalms  in  Metre:  A.  D.  1600,"  has  all 
the  elements  of  a  complete  liturgy,  and  contains,  in  common 
with  the  Prayer-book,  as  parts  of  the  ordinary  service,  a  Con- 
fession of  Sins,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Apostles'  Creed,  a 
Prayer  for  the  whole  estate  of  Christ's  Church,  &c.,  besides 
the  marriage  service  nearly  verbatim,  the  ceremony  of  the 
ring  excepted.  We  have  seen  under  what  pressure  of  Prelacy 
on  the  one  side,  and  dragging  of  Independency  on  the  other, 
we  were  at  length  forced  away  from  both  these  liturgies  into 
the  Directory.  But  it  is  surely  neither  wise  nor  consistent  to 
continue  under  the  dominion  of  a  prejudice  due  to  such  causes. 
There  is,  however,  in  connection  with  this  prejudice,  a  mis- 
conception which  has,  no  doubt,  tended  to  strengthen  and  per- 
petuate it,  and  which  may  even  remain  after  it  has  been 
exposed,  or  where  it  does  not  prevail.  We  refer  to  the  com- 
mon mistake  of  confounding  a  liturgy  with  an  artistic  ritual  or 
elaborate  ceremonial  service.  The  word  calls  up,  in  some 
minds,  the  image  of  a  Gothic  buildings  with  stained  windows, 
admitting  "dim,  religious  light" — a  mysterious  chancel,  with 
altar,  lecturn,  and  pulpit,  adjusted  on  recondite  principles — an 
intoning  figure  in  white  surplice,  with  book  in  hand,  and  a  gaily 
dressed  assembly  manoeuvering  through  the  parade  duty  of 
certain  genuflexions,  recitations,  responses,  bowings,  &c. ;  and 
if  all  this  is  to  be  dragged  in  the  net  of  a  liturgy,  we  admit 
that  our  present  labour  has  been  in  vain.  What  has  been 
described,  however,  in  previous  articles,  has  nothing  to  do  with 
such  accessories,  and  would  be  vitiated  by  admixture  with 
them.  We  have  advocated  no  particular  style  of  church  archi- 
tecture and  furniture,  or  of  ministerial  dress,  or  of  congrega- 

*  Eutaiia,  p.  250. 


THE  BOOK  OF  COMMON  PRAYER.  35 

tional  behaviour,  and  have  proposed  no  innovations  in  such 
matters;  but,  leaving  them  where  the  Directory  leaves  them, 
have    simply  maintained  that  there  might  be,   and,   in    some 
cases,  there  ought  to  be,  in  connection  with  the  faithful  preach- 
ing of  God's  word,  a  system  of  common  devotions  for  both 
minister  and  people,  whereby  they  could  methodically  become 
acquainted  with  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  statedly,  by  simple 
spiritual  acts  of  worship,   offer  up  their  public  prayers   and 
praises   "with  the  spirit  and  with   the   understanding  also." 
With  the  Presbyterian  divines  at  the  Savoy  Conference,  we 
have  judged  that  "Prayer,  confession,  thanksgiving,  reading 
of  the  Scriptures,  and  administration  of  the  sacraments,  in  the 
plainest  and  simplest  manner,  were  matter  enough  to  furnish 
out  a  sufficient  liturgy,  though  nothing  either  of  private  opin- 
ion, or  of  church  pomp,  of  garments,  or  prescribed  gestures,  of 
imagery,  of  music,   of  matter  concerning  the  dead,  of  many 
superfluities  which  creep  into  the  Church  under  the  name  of 
order  and  decency^  did  interpose  itself." 

Such  a  liturgy  we  believe  to  be  not  only  consistent  with  true 
Presbyterianism,  but  a  legitimate  development  of  it,  which  has 
hitherto  been  hindered  by  untoward  influences,  and  which  is 
already  urgently  needed  to  defend  the  weak  point  of  our  sys- 
tem, and  equip  it  for  the  work  of  church-extension  in  all  direc- 
tions. And  its  judicious  introduction  by  agreement  of  the  two 
parties  concerned,  need  not  occasion  any  interference  with  the 
rights  of  those  congregations  which  prefer  a  different  usage, 
nor  any  more  serious  diversity  than  already,  and  of  necessity, 
prevails  in  our  practice. 

Of  the  objections  that  may  be  raised  to  such  a  liturgy,  the 
most  plausible  is,  that  it  would  tend  to  formalism  in  worship. 
We  do  not  wish  to  slur  this  objection,  but  to  sift  it  as  thor- 
oughly as  can  be,  in  the  absence  of  a  fair  experiment,  by  which 
alone  the  question  could  be  decided.  It  would  indeed  be  but 
right  to  first  take  into  account  the  alternative  evils  to  which 
we  are  exposed.  There  may  be  such  things  as  hypocrisy,  cant, 
extravagance,  and  superstition,  as  well  as  formality  in  divine 
service;  and  when  there  is  no  fresh  impulse  or  occasion  of 
devotion,  it  will  not  be  strange,  it  will  simply  be  unavoidable, 
that,  in  the  absence  of  a  well-ordered  form  to  excite  and  cher- 
ish holy  feeling,  there  should  be  forced  or  feigned  excitement. 


36  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC  WORSHIP,  AND 

"We  are  not  speaking  of  what  ought  to  be,  but  of  what  are,  the 
facts.  Let  us  not  deceive  ourselves,  but  look  at  the  question 
on  all  sides,  and  we  may  possibly  reach  the  conclusion,  that  at 
times  a  liturgy  might  prove  a  help  rather  than  a  hindrance  to 
true  spiritual  worship.  When  the  minister's  spirit  is  clouded 
and  heavy,  his  written  sermon  is  a  great  relief,  and  may  even 
gradually  warm  him  up  into  genuine  fervor,  and  his  whole 
audience  with  him ;  or  if  he  eschew  preparation  and  paper,  and 
halt  and  trip  in  his  utterance,  large  excuses  can  still  be  made 
for  one  who  comes  speaking  to  the  people  in  the  name  of  God; 
but  when  he  turns  to  speak  to  God  in  the  name  of  the  people, 
is  it  perfectly  reasonable  that  the  devotions  of  some  hundreds 
of  worshippers  should  be  left  dependent  upon  the  state  of  his 
digestion?  The  spirit  may  be  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak. 
He  might,  perhaps,  take  some  old  familiar  words  in  company 
with  them,  and  at  least  not  hinder  their  devotion  or  his  own; 
but  to  absolutely  make  new  prayers  for  them,  ex  tempore,  every 
Sunday,  under  dread  of  falling  into  deform  of  prayer — alas!  is 
it  not  enough  that  he  should  make  two  able  and  eloquent 
sermons  ? 

Some  form  there  must  be,  in  all  edifying  worship.  Without 
it,  we  relapse  towards  Methodist  extravagance  or  Quaker 
apathy.  Some  form  there  is  in  every  pastor's  made  of  con- 
ducting worship.  He  glides  into  a  service  almost  as  stereo- 
typed as  the  dreaded  liturgy.  It  is,  after  all,  the  thing  without 
the  name ;  and  the  only  question  really  worth  considering  is, 
whether  that  liturgy  shall  be  a  good  one  or  a  bad  one.  The 
advocates  of  a  supposed  impromptu  service,  springing  up  in 
perennial  freshness,  and  ceaseless  variety,  do  not  seem  rightly 
to  distinguish  between  public  and  private  devotion,  or  between 
ordinary  and  extraordinary  states  of  religious  feeling.  In  social 
meetings,  especially  during  seasons  of  revival,  or  on  marked 
providential  occasions,  the  whole  outward  expression  of  worship 
will  indeed  be  free  and  artless,  and  any  thing  like  forms  would  be 
felt  as  an  intolerable  bondage;  but  in  large  assemblies,  convened 
for  stated  acts  of  homage,  there  cannot  but  be  more  of  system, 
sameness,  and  pre-arrangement.  Nor  is  it  easy  to  see  what 
advantage  would  be  gained  by  an  ingenious  variety,  or  capri- 
cious novelty,  so  far  as  that  is  possible  in  reference  to  the 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  37 

ordinary  devotions  of  a  congregation,  when  there  might  be 
customary  forms  of  expressing  them,  which  have  been  used 
and  sanctioned  by  the  learned  and  godly  of  all  churches  and 
ages ;  which  being  largely  taken  from  the  very  words  of  Scrip- 
ture, concisely  express  the  wants,  the  fears,  the  doubts,  the 
hopes,  and  the  joys  of  all  Christians;  and  which  are  marked 
by  a  simple  majesty  of  style,  a  chaste  fervour,  tenderness,  and 
solemnity,  utterly  unknown  in  any  modern  compositions.  In 
the  open,  voluntary  use  of  such  helps  to  devotion,  both  parties 
might  find  a  mutual  relief  and  profit,  which  must  be  foregone  so 
long  as  either  the  people  are  at  the  mercy  of  random  effusions, 
or  the  minister  is  hampered  with  a  surreptitious  form  of  his 
own. 

We  may  add,  that  the  objection  now  under  consideration  is 
not  supported  by  facts.  Some  of  the  most  spiritually-minded 
men  that  ever  lived,  have  used  and  contended  for  a  liturgy;  but 
formalists  will  be  formal  under  any  system. 

Another  and  kindred  objection  is,  that  a  liturgy  would 
repress  all  originality  on  the  part  of  the  minister,  and  foster  a 
deadly  monotony  in  his  services.  The  life  of  public  worship, 
it  is  argued,  consists  in  that  vivid  impression  made  by  an 
earnest  speaker,  with  heart  aglow,  and  voice  and  tone  sponta- 
neously giving  forth  every  petition  as  an  expression  of  his  own 
personal  feeling.  Such  prayers,  it  is  said,  are  more  "interest- 
ing," "solemn,"  or  "touching,"  than  any  recited  form,  how- 
ever appropriate.  We  admit  this  personal  or  individual  ele- 
ment to  be  a  great  advantage  in  the  sermon,  and  even,  with 
proper  limitations,  in  the  service.  The  very  best  preaching 
and  praying  are  confessedly  extemporaneous,  and  also  the  very 
worst.  It  depends  entirely  upon  the  person,  the  mood,  the 
occasion,  and  the  circumstances;  and  when  all  of  these  are  not 
perfectly  favorable,  then  the  question  presents  another  aspect. 
The  Apostle's  rule  is,  "Let  all  things  be  done  to  edifying;" 
and  there  may  be,  as  we  have  seen,  individual  peculiarities  or 
originalities  in  public  prayer  which  are  not  edifying.  Because 
the  broken,  confused  utterances  of  some  private  suppliant  are 
far  better  for  him  than  any  form,  it  does  not  follow  that  they 
will  also  be  more  edifying  to  a  whole  assembly,  nor  is  it  quite 
clear  that  any  sentimental  advantage  or  pathetic  interest  gained 
4 


38  DIRECTORY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,  AND 

by  their  exposure,  is  not  more  than  balanced  by  the  risk  of  a 
certain  vanity,  embarrassment,  or  indelicacy,  on  the  one  side, 
together  "with  a  certain  admiration,  regret,  or  pity,  on  the  other. 
Ah !  it  may  be  pardonable  in  us  to  like  to  hear  a  good  sermon ; 
but  is  it  worshipping  God  to  love  to  hear  how  well  a  man  can 
pray?  and  do  we  not  sometimes  see  the  "gift  of  prayer"  with- 
out the  grace,  as  well  as  the  grace  without  the  gift? 

Moreover,  the  objection  we  are  considering  is  valid  only  on 
the  assumption,  that  the  minister  is  so  slavishly  tied  down  to 
rules  and  forms,  that  he  cannot,  when  the  fresh  mood  or  new 
occasion  prompts  him,  break  away  from  them  into  more  spon- 
taneous services.  It  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  to  frame 
either  directions  or  samples  for  every  possible  emergency ;  and 
the  only  proper  design  of  a  liturgy  is,  to  give  edifying  expres- 
sion to  those  stated  public  devotions  which  are  in  their  nature 
fixed  and  invariable,  while  all  the  benefits  of  the  most  informal 
worship  may  still  be  sufiiciently  retained  in  the  lecture  and 
prayer-meetings  during  the  week,  or  in  the  second  service  on 
the  Lord's  day,  as  well  as  by  blending  free  with  stated  prayer, 
on  all  occasions,  at  discretion. 

A  far  more  specious  scruple  is,  that  liturgies  foster  an  "  aes- 
thetic" form  of  devotion,  or  cultivate  the  taste  and  imagination 
at  the  expense  of  the  heart  and  conscience.  Some  persons,  it 
is  asserted,  are  of  a  liturgical  temperament,  and  by  dwelling 
critically  upon  the  form  in  distinction  from  the  matter  or  spirit 
of  worship,  at  length  become  so  fastidious,  that  they  cannot 
worship  God  unless  it  be  in  good  English,  and  with  all  the 
little  outward  proprieties  carefully  adjusted ;  and  this,  it  is 
hinted,  is  a  weakness  and  folly,  which  ought  to  be  mortified  as 
one  of  the  remainders  of  the  old  Adam. 

Now,  it  need  not  be  denied  that  there  may  be  an  excess  of 
even  so  good  a  thing  as  good  taste;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  the  holiest  things  may  be  spoiled  by  so 
trifling  a  thing  as  a  little  bad  taste.  And  when  old-fashioned 
Presbyterians,  or  their  descendants,  are  found  worshipping  in 
imitation  Parthenons  or  Westminster  Abbeys,  with  the  aid  of 
costly  music  and  oratory,  we  ask  if  it  is  not  simply  a  question 
of  good  sense,  and  of  the  most  ordinary  piety,  what  shall  be 
the  literary  or   intellectual  character  of  their   liturgy;    and 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  89 

whether,  on  the  whole,  it  would  not  be  wiser  and  more  profita- 
ble, not  to  say  in  better  taste,  either  to  lay  aside  all  these  fine 
artistic  surroundings,  and  relapse  to  Rouse  and  the  precentor, 
two  hours'  sermons,  and  half-hour  prayers,  or  else  to  find  vent 
for  the  irrepressible  "aesthetic"  element,  where  it  better  com- 
ports with  our  system,  in  the  form  of  a  reasonable  service  ? 

No  one,  who  thinks  and  observes,  believes  that  true  taste 
and  true  devotion  are  in  their  nature  antagonistic,  or  that 
where  they  are  found  together,  they  can  be  rigorously  driven 
apart.  A  congregation  accustomed  to  refinement  in  their 
homes,  will  have  it  also  in  their  church;  and  experience  has 
shown,  that,  while  a  liturgy  may  indeed  be  more  edifying  to 
cultivated  and  intellectual  Christians,  than  "mean,  irregular, 
or  extravagant  efiusions,"  yet  it  may  also  unite  together  all 
tastes,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent. 

As  to  the  objection,  that  it  would  cost  us  something  of 
church  pride  and  consistency,  or  expose  us  to  ridicule  as  imi- 
tators, it  is  enough  to  say,  in  view  of  the  historical  facts  already 
presented,  that  the  sooner  all  parties  are  rid  of  this  idea  the 
better. 

The  only  remaining  difficulty  we  now  think  of  is,  the  want  of 
a  suitable  manual  or  service-book,  sanctioned  by  sufficient 
Presbyterian  authority  to  insure  its  orthodoxy,  and  encourage 
its  use.  We  believe  this  objection  to  be  the  most  serious  that 
can  be  raised;  but  by  no  means  insuperable,  as  we  hope  may 
appear  in  our  next  and  last  article. 


ARTICLE  VII. 

THE   WARRANT   FOR   THE   PRESBYTERIAN   VERSION   OF    THE   PRAYER 

BOOK. 

In  previous  articles  we  have  advocated  these  three  means 
of  correcting  and  improving  our  public  worship ; — 1st.  In  all 
cases  a  careful  attention  to  the  rules  and  suggestions  of  the 
Directory ;  2d.  In  many  cases  a  system  of  services,  with  forms 
or  examples,  composed  or  compiled  by  the  minister  for  his  own 
assistance ;  3d.  In  some  cases,  where  the  parties  are  so  agreed, 


40  DIRECTORY   FOR    PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

a  liturgy,  or  scheme  of  common  devotions,  for  both  minister 
and  congregation,  containing  not  merely  psalms  and  hymns, 
and  Directory,  but  tables  of  Scripture  lessons,  forms  of  stated 
prayer,  and  of  administration  of  the  sacraments,  and  other 
rites  of  the  Church.  And  in  this  concluding  article,  we  desire 
now  to  show  that  either  or  all  of  these  advantages  can  be 
secured  in  an  edition  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  as  revised 
by  the  Royal  Commission  of  Presbyterian  divines,  at  the  Savoy 
Conference,  A.  D.  1661,  and  in  agreement  with  our  Directory 
for  Public  Worship. 

As  this  was  with  the  writer  no  foregone  conclusion,  but  a 
wholly  unforeseen  result  of  some  studies  and  efforts  in  the 
direction  of  a  truly  Presbyterian  liturgy,  he  begs  the  reader, 
who  has  followed  him  thus  far,  to  candidly  review  the  several 
historical  facts  upon  which  it  is  based,  and  the  arguments  up- 
holding it. 

1.  The  Prayer-hooh  was  set  aside  for  the  Directory  hy  the 
Westminster  divines  on  avowed  'principles  which  admit  of  its 
resumption.  In  their  Preface,  after  recounting  the  evils  then 
arising  out  of  its  forcible  imposition  upon  the  churches,  they 
thus  declared  their  motives: 

"  Upon  these,  and  many  the  like  weighty  considerations,  in  reference  to 
the  whole  Book  in  general,  and  because  of  divers  particulars  contained  in  it ; 
not  from  any  love  to  novelty,  or  intention  to  disparage  our  first  reformers,  (of 
whom  we  are  persuaded  that,  were  they  now  alive,  they  would  join  with  us  in 
this  work,  and  whom  we  acknowledge  as  excellent  instruments,  raised  by  God, 
to  begin  the  purging  and  building  of  his  house,  and  desire  they  may  be  had  of 
us  and  posterity  in  everlasting  remembrance,  with  thankfulness  and  honor,) 
but  that  we  may,  in  some  measure,  answer  the  gracious  providence  of  God, 
which  at  this  time  calleth  upon  us  for  further  reformation,  and  may  satisfy 
our  own  consciences,  and  answer  the  expectation  of  other  reformed  churches, 
and  the  desires  of  many  of  the  godly  among  ourselves,  and  withal  give  some  pub- 
lic testimony  of  our  endeavors  for  uniformity  in  Divine  worship,  which  we  have 
promised  in  our  'Solemn  League  and  Covenant.'  We  have,  after  earnest  and 
frequent  calling  upon  the  name  of  God,  and  after  much  consultation,  not  with 
flesh  and  blood,  but  with  his  holy  word,  resolved  to  lay  aside  the  former 
liturgy,  with  the  many  rites  and  ceremonies,  formerly  used  in  the  worship  of 
God,  and  have  agreed  upon  this  following  Directory  for  all  the  parts  of  public 
worship,  at  ordinary  and  extraordinary  times." 

We  believe  that  both  the  spirit  and  the  letter  of  these  cau- 
tious declarations  favor  the  point  we  are  arguing.  When  it 
is  remembered  that  the  Directory  was  mainly  a  semi-political 


THE  BOOK  OF  COMMON  PRAYER.  41 

device,  resulting  from  the  opposite  forces  of  prelacy  and  inde- 
pendency, and  that  it  utterly  failed  to  secure  the  "  covenanted 
uniformity,"  for  ■which  it  was  orignally  framed ;  and  when  it 
is  remembered  that  the  objections  therein  enumerated  against 
the  Prayer-book,  such  as  the  imposition  of  things  indifferent  as 
terms  of  communion,  the  suppression  of  free  prayer  and 
preaching,  the  obtrusion  of  new  papistical  ceremonies,  and  the 
maintenance  of  an  unedifying,  beneficed  clergy,  were  charge- 
able to  the  mere  political  and  sectarian  surroundings  of  the 
Book,  rather  than  to  its  contents,  duly  purged  and  amended ; 
and  when,  moreover,  it  is  remembered  that  we,  in  this  land 
and  age  of  greater  light  and  freedom,  are  no  longer  harassed 
by  the  untoward  influences,  and  driven  to  the  rash  extremes, 
which  this  liturgy  then  occasioned,  and  that  all  former  difficul- 
ties in  regard  to  its  use,  in  our  present  necessities  and  opportu- 
nities, have  subsided  into  mere  inherited  prejudices;  we  shall 
Surely  not  be  inconsistent,  to  say  the  least,  if  we  return  to  it 
as  to  the  work  of  our  revered  forefathers,  and  thereby  again 
illustrate  our  dearly  bought  liberty,  as  well  to  resume  and 
modify  it,  as  to  lay  it  aside  according  to  the  varying  exigency 
of  times  and  occasions.  And,  lest  it  be  thought  we  misrepre- 
sent them,  let  the  simple  fact  which  afterwards  followed  be 
next  considered. 

2.  The  Prayer-hook  ivas  actually  revised  hy  the  framers  of 
the  Directory,  and  their  descendants,  with  a  view  to  its  resump- 
tion. Among  the  Presbyterian  Commissioners  at  the  Savoy 
Conference,  were  some  of  the  most  distinguished  Westminster 
divines;*  their  specimen  of  a  "Reformed  Liturgy"  was  taken 
exclusively  from  the  Bible,  the  Directory,  and  the  Prayer- 
book;  and  their  own  immortal  writings  still  rank  among  our 
standards  of  orthodoxy  and  piety.  Both  as  scholars  and  theo- 
logians they  were  unequalled,  either  then  or  since,  and  were 
not  despised  even  by  their  adversaries,  who  proffered  them  the 
highest  honors  of  that  Church  establishment  which,  with  the 
spirit  of  martyrs,  they  afterwards  abandoned.  It  cannot  be 
charged,  much  less  proved  upon  such  men,  that  they  were  of  a 
compliant  or  compromising  temper.     "While,  as  they  declared, 

*  Tuckney,  Calamy,  Spurstow,  Wallis,  Case,  Reynolds,  Newcomen,  Conant, 
Lightfoot,  etc. 

4* 


42  DIRECTORY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

they  had  "not  the  least  thought  of  depraving  or  reproaching 
the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,"  yet  their  "exceptions"  against 
it  were  not  only  "general,"  but  "particular"  or  verbal,  with  a 
degree  of  scrupulous  minuteness  that  would  now  be  deemed 
superfluous;  and  these  "exceptions,"  having  never  been  fairly 
acted  upon  by  both  parties,  have  come  down  to  us  without  a 
trace  or  taint  of  concession.  We  have,  in  fact,  all  the  mate- 
rials of  a  thoroughly  Presbyterian  edition  of  the  Prayer-book 
in  the  form  of  such  historical  documents  as  the  following: 

1.  "The  King's  Warrant  for  the  Conference  at  the  Savoy." 

2.  "The  Exceptions  of  the  Presbyterian  Ministers  against  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer,"  (including  a  written  criticism  upon  both  text  and  rubric,  with 
proposed  alterations,  emendations,  and  additions.) 

3.  "The  Answer  of  the  Bishops  to  the  Exceptions  of  the  Ministers." 

4.  "The  Petition  for  Peace  and  Concord,  presented  to  the  Bishops,  with  the 
proposed  Reformation  of  the  Liturgy." 

5.  "The  Rejoinder  of  the  Ministers  to  the  Answer  of  the  Bishops — the 
Grand  Debate  between  the  most  Reverend  the  Bishops  and  the  Presbyterian 
Divines,  appointed  by  his  sacred  Majesty,  as  Commissioners  for  the  Review 
and  Alteration  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  &c.,  being  an  exact  account 
of  their  whole  proceedings.  The  most  perfect  copy.  London,  1661 :  pp. 
1—148."* 

The  Book,  as  revised  and  amended  by  the  aid  of  these  docu- 
ments, could  not  be  chargeable  with  any  private  or  modern 
fancies,  but  would  embody  the  matured  suggestions  of  learned 
and  godly  men,  who  were  lawfully  charged  with  the  work  of 
revision,  and  who,  in  that  good  work,  endured  great  temptation 
and  persecution.  And  the  whole,  besides  being  a  worthy 
memorial  of  our  Church  forefathers,  would  be  at  least  as  truly 
Presbyterian  as  our  present  service-book,  which  contains  a 
Directory  of  Worship,  originally  framed  by  ordained  ministers 
of  the  Church  of  England,  "with  the  assistance  of  Commission- 
ers from  the  Church  of  Scotland, "f  and  a  collection  of  hymns 

*  As  collateral  aids  may  also  be  used,  the  present  English  Prayer-book, 
with  its  Presbyterian  emendations,  for  which  the  most  reverend  Bishops  in 
their  Preface  thought  fit  to  apologize;  the  proposed  Prayer-book  of  1689, 
which  was  framed  in  consultation  with  the  leaders  of  the  ejected  Presbyte- 
rians, and  which,  in  the  opinion  of  Calamy,  would  have  satisfied  more  than 
two-thirds  of  their  number;  and  the  different  Presbyterian  editions,  dating 
before  the  Savoy  Conference,  especially  the  Second  Book  of  King  Edward  VI., 
to  which  the  Presbyterian  Commissioners  constantly  appealed. 

f  Of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  divines  in  the  Westminster  Assembly,  five 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  43 

compiled  from  all  accessible  sources.  But  the  last  shred  of  an 
objection,  on  the  score  of  consistent  Presbyterianism,  must  dis- 
appear before  our  next  consideration. 

3.  As  the  Directory  is  but  a  skeleton  of  the  Prayer-book,  so 
the  Prayer-hooh  itself  is  hut  a  compilation  which  is  more  Pres- 
hyterian  than  Episcopalian  in  its  sou7'ces.  We  mean  simply  to 
say  that,  leaving  out  of  view  those  portions  which  belong  exclu- 
sively to  neither  party,  but  have  been  sanctioned  and  used  by 
both,  (being  derived  from  ancient  Christian  liturgies,  and  from 
Lutheran  formularies,)  the  remainder,  which  is  by  no  means 
inconsiderable  in  character  or  quantity,  is  almost  entirely  Pres- 
byterian. This  is  unquestionably  true  of  the  Book  as  it  stood 
at  the  time  of  the  Savoy  Conference,  and  it  is  sufficiently  true, 
for  this  argument,  of  the  Book  as  it  is  now  familiar  to  the  Ame- 
rican reader ;  as  will  appear  by  the  following  references,  taken 
from  Anglican  authorities  alone. 

The  Exhortation,  General  Confession,  Declaration  of  Abso- 
lution, and  General  Thanksgiving,  in  the  Order  for  Daily 
Prayer,  and  the  Ten  Commandments  as  they  appear  in  the 
Ante-Communion  Office,  are  admitted  to  be  of  Calvinistic 
origin.*     All  that  remains  (except  the  apocryphal  Song  and 

were  Commissioners  from  the  Church  of  Scotland,  six  or  seven  were  Independ- 
ents, several  were  Episcopalians,  and  the  remainder  were  English  Presbyterians. 

*  It  is  generally  conceded  that  these  services,  as  used  in  the  reformed 
churches,  originated  with  Calvin,  and  were  copied  into  the  Anglican  Church 
from  his  Strasburg  Liturgy,  as  translated  by  his  successor  PoUanus,  and  by 
A.  Lasko,  both  of  whom  were  Calvinists  and  refugee  pastors,  with  their  con- 
gregations worshipping  in  England  at  the  time  the  first  Prayer-book  was  fur- 
ther reformed  and  amended.  See  History  of  the  Prayer-book,  by  Archdeacon 
Berens,  published  by  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  pages 
39,  41,  43,  87,  88,  141,  155 — 8;  Archbishop  Laurence's  Bampton  Lectures, 
p.  207 — 10;  Freeman's  "Principles  of  Divine  Service,"  vol.  I.,  p.  313;  Proc- 
tor's Hist,  of  Prayer-book,  pp.  48  and  49,  note ;  "  Private  Prayers  in  the 
Reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth ;"  Parker  Society,  p.  488,  note ;  Strype's  Eccl. 
Mem,  Vol.  II.,  p.  2,  33;  Burnet's  Hist,  of  Ref.,  p.  415;  Strype's  Life  of 
Cranmer,  p.  200,  and  Appendix;  Heyliu's  Hist,  of  Ref.,  Pub.  by  Eccl  Hist. 
Society,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  193,  226,  270,  etc. 

The  General  Thanksgiving  was  composed  by  Reynolds,  one  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Commissioners  at  the  Savoy  Conference.  See  Proctor's  Hist,  of  Prayer- 
book,  p.  263,  and  authorities  there  quoted. 

The  Litany,  when  it  diS'ers  from  the  ancient  form,  is  in  almost  every 
instance  taken  from  Bucer's  translation.     See  any  of  the  above  writers. 

The  Epistles  and  Gospels  were  rendered  in  their  present  translation  at  the 
instance  of  the  Presbyterian  Commissioners.     See  as  above. 


44  DIRECTORY  FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,   AND 

Lessons,)  viz.,  the  Te  Deum,  the  Litany,  the  Creeds,  the  Col- 
lects, Epistles,  and  Gospels,  have  passed  from  their  ancient 
sources  through  Presbyterian  sanctions,  and  under  a  Presbyte- 
rian revision,  to  their  present  form.  In  other  words,  the  -whole 
Lord's  day  service,  as  usually  performed,  contains  but  a  single 
prayer*  that  can  be  traced  to  a  distinctively  Episcopalian  ori- 
gin ;  and  for  the  obvious  reason,  partly,  that  that  service  was 
framed  before  the  assertion  of  Prelacy  against  Presbytery 
arose,  and  also  that  its  Protestant  additions  and  emendations 
are  almost  exclusively  from  Calvinistic  sources. 

In  the  Occasional  Offices  of  Baptism,  Matrimony,  Visitation 
of  the  Sick,  and  Burial  of  the  Dead,  the  question  of  authorship 
lies  between  the  Calvinist  and  the  Lutheran,  or  between  the 
French  and  the  German  Protestant,  rather  than  between  the 
Presbyterian  and  the  Episcopalian.  While  portions  of  those 
formularies  are  clearly  traceable  to  the  Cologne  liturgy  of  the 
Calvinistict  Bucer  and  Melancthon,  yet,  having  thus  origi- 
nated outside  of  the  pretentious  Anglican  Prelacy,  they 
belong  to  the  general  class  of  Reformed  or  Protestant  non- 
Episcopal  rituals,  and  as  such,  might  have  continued  in 
actual  use,  but  for  certain  doubtful  expressions  and  supersti- 
tious ceremonies,  by  which  they  were  vitiated,  and  from  which 
our  ecclesiastical  fathers  in  the  Savoy  Conference  strove  to 
purge  them. 

As  to  the  Psalter,  it  is  well  known  that  it  was  first  restored 
to  the  people,  in  the  form  of  congregational  psalmody,  in  the 
Church  of  Geneva,  from  whence  it  was  copied,  as  a  popular 
element  of  worship  in  the  English  churches. 

Of  the  whole  compilation,  indeed,  except  the  Ordinal  or 
ordination  services,  and  several  political  or  State  services, 
added  after  the  Savoy  Revision,  it  is  safe  to  affirm,  that  were 

*  Even  this  exception  is  doubtful.  The  "  Prayer  for  all  Conditions  of  Men," 
by  whomsoever  composed,  originated  in  the  Presbyterian  Revision,  and  was 
evidently  modelled  upon,  if  not  largely  quoted  from,  Calvinistic  prayers, 
already  authorized  and  domesticated  in  England.  Compare  Proctor's  Hist,  of 
Prayer-book,  p.  262,  with  Liturgical  Services  Qn.  Eliz.,  p.  266,  and  Eutaxia, 
pp.  157,  38,  39. 

■}•  Zurich  Letters,  1st  Series,  pp.  161,  234.  2d  Series,  pp.  73, 120.  Orig.  Letters 
of  Reformation,  488,  535,  544—548,  585,  688.,  Pub.  by  Parker  Society.  Cal- 
vin's Tracts,  Vol.  XL,  281,  354—356,  496.     Burnet's  Hist,  of  Ref.,  p.  405. 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRATER.  45 

it  amended  according  to  that  revision,  it  would  be  as  thor- 
oughly Presbyterian  in  its  historical  sources  as  well  as  sanc- 
tions, and,  in  fact,  in  every  thing  but  its  present  popular  asso- 
ciations, as  the  book  now  used  in  our  pulpits  and  pews.  The 
almost  universal  impression  to  the  contrary  has  arisen  out  of 
the  false  assumption  that  our  forefathers  were  as  much  opposed 
to  liturgy  as  Prelacy,  or  to  the  literary  contents  of  the  Prayer- 
book,  as  to  the  tyrannical  and  superstitious  rites  accompanying 
it.  It  is  forgotten,  or  no  longer  known  among  us,  that  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  England,  with  her  two  thousand  clergy, 
her  scholars,  divines,  and  patriots  of  illustrious  memory,  her 
prestige  of  learning,  rank,  and  power,  in  the  act  of  giving  up, 
for  conscience'  sake,  the  high  places  and  rich  livings  of  an 
establishment  which  owed  its  restoration  to  her  loyalty,  also 
abandoned  a  liturgy  to  which  her  ministers  had  an  hereditary 
right,  upon  which  their  adversaries  were  legally  compelled  to 
meet  them  in  conference  for  their  satisfaction,  and  which, 
at  the  same  time,  they  declared  they  had  "not  the  least 
thought  of  depraving  or  reproaching."  And  this  hard  alter- 
native into  which  they  were  driven  by  the  exigencies  of  a 
State  religion,  in  an  age  of  sectarian  rancor  and  violence, 
we  have  thoughtlessly  accepted  and  continued  as  our  sole, 
normal  condition.  But  surely,  after  two  centuries  of  peaceful 
progress,  in  another  country,  under  a  government  of  equal 
laws,  and  in  the  midst  of  spontaneous  tendencies  towards  a 
free,  spiritual  liturgy,  it  is  high  time  to  ask  if  there  be  not 
some  safe  mean  between  the  wild  extremes  from  which  we  have 
so  happily  escaped,  and  whether  history  has  not  reserved  it  as 
a  just  providential  compensation,  that  we  should  now  enter  into 
the  labors,  while  we  vindicate  the  fame,  of  those  faithful  men 
"  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy." 

4.  Our  last  and  conclusive  argument  is,  that  the  Prayer-book, 
thus  revised,  with  our  American  Directory  in  place  of  the 
English  Rubric,  is  the  only  Preshyterian  liturgy  that  is  either 
desirable  or  j^racticable.  After  what  we  have  stated  as  to  the 
origin  and  history  of  that  compilation,  we  shall  not  now  be 
suspected  of  any  disloyalty  in  affirming  that,  with  all  its  faults, 
it  is  simply  incomparable.  No  one  who  studies  the  subject, 
historically  and  philosophically,  can  fail  to  see  that  it  meets 


46  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,  AND 

the  needs  of  ordinary  divine  service  better  than  any  other 
formulary  that  has  ever  been  devised,  or  become  widely  preva- 
lent. A  fresh  worker  in  this  ifield,  taking  as  his  ideal  of  Chris- 
tian worship  a  scheme  of  stated  forms,  which  should  express,  in 
simple  Scripture  phrase,  the  common  needs  of  a  church  assem- 
bly, and  be  redolent  of  the  communion  of  saints  in  all  lands 
and  ages — such  a  worker,  after  all  the  thought  and  research  he 
can  bestow  upon  the  question,  at  length  finds  that  he  has  been 
anticipated  by  a  book  which  is  framed  to  fit  the  mould  of  the 
universal  Christian  heart,  which  is  wrought  out  of  the  warp 
and  woof  of  ancient  and  modern  piety,  which  contains  the 
cream  of  all  liturgies,  both  of  our  own  and  of  other  churches, 
and  which  has  lingering  about  it  a  savour  of  pure  and  fervent 
devotion  belonging  to  no  other  uninspired  composition.  If  he 
loves  our  English  Bible,  he  must  also  love  that  English  liturgy 
which  was  the  product  of  the  same  age,  and  in  the  same  sacred 
style.  To  attempt  now  any  better  devotional  phraseology 
would  be  as  vain  as  to  frame  a  better  version  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  To  attempt  any  different  compilation  would  be 
but  to  glean  in  fields  already  reaped  and  garnered;  and  to 
attempt  any  ingenious  recomposition  of  its  materials,  would  be 
but  to  incur  the  odium  of  imitation  or  invasion,  where  we  ought 
rather  to  assert  an  original  right  of  property  and  inheritance. 
It  has,  in  fact,  been  the  chief  mistake  of  our  liturgical  writers 
hitherto,  that,  from  a  well-meant  fear  of  concession  or  intru- 
sion, they  have  so  generally  striven  to  ignore  a  collection  which 
has.  been  culled  from  the  gathered  wisdom  and  piety  of  the 
Church  universal,  and  which,  after  all  that  has  been  said  and 
done  against  it,  has  continued,  for  these  several  centuries  past, 
the  only  Christian  liturgy  deserving  the  name. 

We  know  very  well,  indeed,  that  as  now  viewed  by  Presby- 
terians, it  has  many  serious  blemishes  and  inconveniences,  and 
even  pernicious  errors,  the  still  remaining  dross  of  the  furnace 
through  which  it  has  passed;  but  none  of  these,  it  will  be  found, 
have  escaped  the  searching  revision  and  thorough  expurgation 
of  the  Savoy  divines,  or  need  encumber  it  in  the  hands  of  those 
who  are  not  trammelled  with  inflexible  rubrics.     As  combined 

« 

with  a  Directory,  allowing  to  the  minister  his  liberty  to  remedy, 
at  discretion,  the  tedious  length  and  multiplicity  of  its  services, 


THE   BOOK   OF   COMMON   PRAYER.  47 

and  neither  requiring  nor  precluding  responses,  on  the  part  of 
the  congregation,  nor  indeed  demanding  any  other  behaviour 
than  is  already  customary  in  our  assemblies,  it  would,  we  hon- 
estly believe,  be  the  best  liturgy  that  could  be  desired,  or  now 
devised. 

We  will  even  go  further,  and  declare  our  conviction  that,  as 
it  is  the  only  liturgy  fit  to  be  used,  so  it  is  the  only  one  that 
can  be  used  with  any  thing  like  Presbyterian  consistency.  The 
nature  of  our  system,  and  the  nature  of  the  exigency,  combine 
to  shut  us  up  to  this  alternative.  On  the  one  hand  the  wise, 
generous  spirit  of  our  system  will  not  allow  the  whole  Church 
to  be  hampered  with  any  thing  more  liturgical  than  a  Direc- 
tory ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  exigency  to  be  met  is  such, 
that  it  cannot  be  fully  supplied  by  mere  private  or  voluntary 
efforts.  For  any  single  pastor  to  compose  a  liturgy,  would  be 
as  absurd  as  to  compose  a  hymn-book ;  and  for  him  to  compile 
one,  exclusive  of  the  Prayer-book,  would  be  as  impossible  as  to 
compile  a  new  creed  or  psalter.  No  man  or  body  of  men  now 
living  could  frame  any  better,  or  any  other  formulary,  at  all 
answering  to  the  proper  idea  of  a  liturgy,  than  that  which  our 
ecclesiastical  forefathers  in  England  have  first  revised,  and 
then  bequeathed  to  us,  invested  with  the  halo  of  martyrdom ; 
and  by  adopting  it  as  the  fruit  of  their  orthodoxy,  learning 
and  piety,  while  we  gain  all  the  advantages  of  authority,  anti- 
quity, catholicity,  and  perfect  fitness,  we  sacrifice  neither  our 
liberty,  nor  our  just  pride  as  Presbyterians. 

Nor  could  its  use  in  common  with  that  highly  respectable 
denomination,  which  meanwhile  has  arisen  in  our  own  country, 
and  so  faithfully  preserved  and  honored  it  among  us,  be. other 
than  pleasing  to  any,  in  either  Church,  who  "  profess  and  call 
themselves  Christians,"  or  who  are  ready  to  rejoice  at  the 
many  and  great  things  in  which  Christians  can  agree,  as  com- 
pared with  the  few  and  small  things  in  which  they  differ. 

We  conclude  the  whole  subject  with  two  inferences.  The 
one  is,  that  the  liturgical  question  has  already  been  exhausted, 
so  far  as  discussion  could  exhaust  it,  by  a  former  age.  The 
time  for  mere  argument  has  gone  by.  In  these  articles  we 
have  presented,  not  without  some  needful  exaggeration,  it  may 
be,  a  side  which  we  Presbyterians  have  but  seldom  viewed. 


48  DIRECTORY   FOR   PUBLIC   WORSHIP,  ETC. 

We  know  very  well  what  strong  reasonings  can  be  brought 
from  the  opposite  side;  but  we  know  also  that  no  reasonings 
that  could  now  be  brought  from  either  side  would  equal  those 
of  the  disputants  who  were  once  so  terribly  in  earnest,  as  to 
add  battles  to  their  books,  diplomacy  to  their  logic,  and  mar- 
tyrdom to  their  orthodoxy. 

The  other  inference  is,  that  the  whole  question  is  one  of  the 
unsolved  problems  which  the  Old  World  has  bequeathed  to  the 
New.  Although  so  thoroughly  canvassed  there,  yet  it  was  at 
length  settled  only  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  law,  and  in  a  man- 
ner that  posterity  here  refuses  to  accept  as  final  or  satisfac- 
tory. The  Directory  of  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland, 
and  the  Liturgy  of  the  Established  Church  of  England,  the 
several  fruits  of  a  sectarian  warfare,  that  would  permit  neither 
to  live  but  by  exterminating  the  other,  cannot  now  be  viewed, 
in  the  light  of  facts  around  us,  as  other  than  rash  extremes, 
from  which  the  free  churches  of  this  land  are  already  verging 
towards  a  substantial  unity,  in  the  midst  of  trivial  diversity. 

On  the  24th  of  August  last,  in  the  city  of  London,  but  out 
of  the  Church  of  England,  was  commemorated  the  bi-centen- 
nary  of  that  black  day  in  her  saints'  calendar,  the  second  St. 
Bartholomew  tragedy,  which  gave  her  the  Prayer-book,  with- 
out the  pledged  alterations,  at  a  cost  of  so  many  martyrs  for 
Presbyterian  orthodoxy  and  spirituality.  Should  the  same 
work  as  here  issued  on  the  basis  of  their  revision,  and  in  their 
name,  do  aught  towards  that  spiritual  "Act  of  Uniformity," 
■which  neither  covenants  nor  statutes  could  then  compel,  or  now 
retard,  their  testimony  will  not  have  been  in  vain. 


WM.   S.   &   ALFRED   MARTIEN   HAVE   IN   PRESS, 


THE    BOOK 


O  F 


COMMON    PRAYER, 


AND      ADMINISTUATION      OP     TH! 


SACRAMENTS. 


OTHER   RITES    AND   CEREMONIES   OF    THE   CHURCH, 

AS      REVISKI>      BT      THE 

ROYAL  COMMISSION  OF  PRESBYTERIAN  DIVINES 

AT    THE    SAVOY    CONFERENCE,    A,  D.,  1661, 
AND      IN      AGREBMENT     WITH 

THE    DIRECTOEY   FOR   PUBLIC  WORSHIP 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH   IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
EDITED     BY 

CHARLES     W.     SHIELDS, 

PASTOR    OP    THE    SECOND    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH,    PHILADELPHIA. 


WITH   AN   APPENDIX, 

CONTAINIHG   THE    DOCUMENTS   OP   THE    PRESBYTERIAN    REVISION,    TOGETHEK    WITH 
THE    editor's    EXPLANATORY    NOTES    AND    REFERENCES. 


